[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 15304-15305]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          HUNGER ACTION MONTH

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, in honor of Hunger Action Month, I want to 
say a few words about the real and lingering problem of hunger and food 
insecurity. Hunger has no boundaries. In a Nation that prides itself as 
the land of plenty, more than 47 million people--including more than 1 
in 5 children--do not know how they will put food on their table.
  The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, formerly known 
as food stamps, is one of our most important antihunger programs. More 
than 80 percent of SNAP households have incomes below the poverty line, 
which is less than $500 a week for a family of four. Seventy percent of 
SNAP participants are in families with children, and more than 25 
percent are in households with seniors or people with disabilities. 
Basic sustenance ought to be a guarantee in a civilized society, not a 
gamble. If children or adults are hungry in America, that is a problem 
for all of us, and it is a problem we can do something about.
  I have traveled across my State and met families and parents that 
rely on food assistance and heard their stories. They are our 
neighbors, they are hardworking people who lost their job or got sick. 
They are seniors living on a limited income.
  They are people like Maureen, who works cleaning houses. Her husband 
fell ill and had to stop working due to a disability. Maureen struggles 
to put food on the table for her two daughters in high school. Her 
husband's doctor says he needs to eat more vegetables, but Maureen says 
they are just too expensive. The $126 a month in SNAP benefits Maureen 
receives help, but she still struggles and relies on a food pantry to 
feed her family. Unfortunately, Maureen is just one of the more than 
1.8 million Illinoisans who do not know where their next meal will come 
from.
  The millions of Americans, like Maureen, who rely on safety net 
antihunger programs, may not have the loudest voice in the debate or 
big public relations firms, but we must protect these programs and work 
to improve the lives of vulnerable families, children, and seniors at 
their time of need.

[[Page 15305]]

  Hunger in America is not something we can ignore. No family should 
have to wonder where their next meal will come from. As a co-chair of 
the Senate Hunger Caucus, I look forward to continuing to work with my 
colleagues and those in the antihunger community to shine a light on 
this important issue and eliminate domestic hunger.

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