Harkin - Focus on food assistance needed

During the House farm bill process, I thought House Ag Committee Chairman Colin Peterson was about as "proactive" as they came in Congress relative to outreach to the press. I would put Harkin in that league and perhaps a plus ahead. From the office of Sen. Tom Harkin:



HARKIN: THANKSGIVING WEEK A TIME TO FOCUS ON FOOD ASSISTANCE FOR LOW-INCOME AMERICAN FAMILIES IN NEW FARM BILL

Critical Increases in Nutrition Assistance Languish in Senate as President Visits Food Bank

WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the Thanksgiving holiday just days away, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today said that President Bush should follow up on his visit to a Virginia food bank today and intervene to end obstruction of the new farm bill by members of his own party. The new legislation contains billions of dollars in critically-needed new food assistance for low-income families across the nation. Harkin, who is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, expressed hope that the legislation could pass the Senate shortly after the Thanksgiving recess with the Administration’s support.

“President Bush should go beyond this Thanksgiving week food bank visit and apply the tools of his office to ensure the new farm bill passes the Senate without further delays,” said Harkin. “It is time to move beyond politics and strengthen our nation’s food assistance. These programs are the first line of defense against hunger. With the cooperation of the Bush White House and Senate Republicans, we can end the obstruction, pass this bill right after Thanksgiving and make a real difference for Americans on the verge of hunger.”

Since 2000, the number of Americans living on the edge of hunger has risen by over 2 million. The pending farm bill contains over $5 billion in critical investments in federal food assistance programs. This new funding will provide extra money for food banks, increase food assistance to working families with high child care costs, and will increase food assistance for low-income seniors.

Just last week, the Administration released its annual report on hunger and food insecurity, Household Food Security in the United States, 2006. According to the report, the number of Americans living in “food insecure” households in 2006 was 35.5 million, an increase of 400,000 over 2005 and an increase of 2.3 million since 2000.

On Friday, November 16th movement of the farm bill on a critical procedural vote was blocked, largely along party lines. Despite unanimous backing in the Senate Agriculture Committee, and broad bipartisan support on the floor, Senate Republicans are blocking the movement of the bill by insisting on votes on matters unrelated to the farm bill.