Congress Must Pass A Strong Farm Bill This Year - Statement from Vicki Escarra
Statement Attributable to:
Vicki Escarra
President & CEO
“The 2007 Farm Bill is among the most important pieces of legislation the U.S. Congress will consider this year. Federal nutrition programs funded through the Farm Bill’s nutrition title, such as the Food Stamp Program, The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), are the first line of defense for millions of low- and fixed-income Americans living on the brink of hunger.
“On July 27, 2007, the House of Representatives passed a Farm Bill (H.R. 2419) that extends the provisions of the current Farm Bill—set to expire on Sept. 30, 2007—through 2012 and adds approximately $4.3 billion to federal nutrition program funding over five years. The new funding would increase access, eligibility and benefits for the food stamp program; increase mandatory funding for the purchase of The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) commodities from $140 to $250 million annually; and adjust this amount for inflation; and make improvements to the Commodity Supplemental Food Program.
“America’s Second Harvest commends Members of the House Agriculture Committee for their leadership on drafting a strong nutrition title for the Farm Bill. We also commend the House Ways and Means Committee for identifying a revenue source to fund these critical programs. However, there is still work ahead in the Senate and, ultimately, final passage by both chambers of Congress to ensure that we take a step forward in ending hunger in America.
“As the Senate begins drafting a Farm Bill, America’s Second Harvest is urging legislators to ensure the bill includes no less than the nearly $4.3 billion in new funding provided in the House-passed version (H.R. 2419).
“Federal funding for nutrition programs has eroded since the passage of the last Farm Bill in 2002. The combination of fewer federal commodity donations, rising energy and facility costs, and high transportation and operating expenses has made it increasingly difficult for food banks and local feeding organizations across the country to meet the rising demand for food assistance.
“Food stamp benefits, income deductions and other qualifications for assistance have not kept pace with inflation, nor do they accurately reflect rising household and living expenses, such as the price of gasoline, electricity or medicine. Consequently, more working poor than ever live at the margins of poverty.
“The America’s Second Harvest network is advocating for a series of improvements in the 2007 Farm Bill that would significantly strengthen the level of support to low-income Americans through the Farm Bill’s Nutrition Title. These changes center around three core nutrition programs: the Food Stamp Program, The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), as well as the stabilization of commodity donation levels.
“Hunger is one of the most solvable problems facing the United States, yet it reaches into every community across the country affecting more than 35 million people. That’s one in ten Americans who are hungry or at risk of hunger.
“Our network and hunger-relief organizations across the country are working tirelessly to end hunger in America. But we can not do it alone.”
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To learn more about our efforts or how you can help by sending a letter to your Senator, please visit www.hungeractioncenter.org.
America's Second Harvest - The Nation's Food Bank Network is the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through its network of more than 200 member food banks, America's Second Harvest annually provides assistance to more than 25 million people in need, including more than 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Each year, America's Second Harvest secures and distributes more than 2 billion pounds of donated food and grocery products to support feeding programs at approximately 50,000 local charitable agencies, including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, and Kids Cafes.
To learn more, please visit www.secondharvest.org.
