S.Res. 484Senate112th Congress (2011-2013)Passed Congress

A resolution designating June 7, 2012, as "National Hunger Awareness Day".

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Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S3798-3799; text as passed Senate: CR S3799; text of measure as introduced: CR S3782-3783)

June 6, 2012

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Introduced in Senate

June 6, 2012

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June 6, 2012

Floor Debate

2 members

What members said about S.Res. 484 on the floor

2 Democrats

Sen. Richard J. DurbinD-IL · Jun 6, 2012

Mr. President, I rise in honor of National Hunger Awareness Day, which takes place on June 7. On this day, we focus on the difficult reality that exists for millions of Americans. Hunger is a form of poverty, and the persistence of hunger in the wealthiest nation in the world is both alarming and unacceptable. It is long past due that we recognize the devastating impact of hunger and commit to protect the anti-hunger programs that help children and families in their time of need.

Today, June 6, marks a sad day in America, the forty-fourth anniversary of Senator Robert Kennedy's death. In April 1967, Senator Kennedy visited homes in the Mississippi Delta where he was stunned to see babies with distended bellies and ice boxes and cupboards bare of food. Senator Kennedy was visibly moved by those he met with on his trip and went back to Washington to make hunger a national issue and to raise federal support for hungry children and families.

Today the fight continues. Hunger remains a reality in all of our communities. We see it in the long lines at our food pantries. We hear it from seniors forced to choose between groceries and medication. And we see it in the faces of children at school who have not had a decent meal since yesterday's school lunch.

During a visit to a food bank in Champaign, IL, I noticed a young woman who I thought worked there or served on the board, but when she spoke with me I learned that she is a teacher's aide in a local school and a single mom with two kids. While she is happy to have her teaching job, she doesn't earn enough to keep food on the table and must rely on the food bank and food stamps.

Her story is not unique. Millions of families live each day not knowing if or how they will put food on the table. Rather than thinking about what the next meal will be, parents worry if there will be a next meal. Today, 50 million people have trouble putting food on the table, and 740,000 children live in a food insecure household. Where there is poverty, we see a greater demand for emergency food programs and support. Fortunately, programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program--SNAP--Women, Infant, Children--WIC--Program, and school meal programs provide food for hungry children and families. These programs have responded to the growing need by helping low and middle-class families, children, and seniors maintain a healthy diet.

The benefits of SNAP reach far beyond helping households maintain a healthy diet. SNAP is one of the Nation's most important anti-hunger programs and has provided over 46 million Americans with essential food assistance. In Illinois, more than 1.8 million people rely on SNAP benefits. SNAP has lifted nearly 2.5 million children out of poverty, more than any other government program.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture's--USDA-- Economic Research Service, $5 of SNAP benefits can generate $9 in economic activity through retail demand, farm production, and jobs. When millions of Americans are struggling, food stamps meet a basic human need.

This week the Senate will take up the Farm bill, which provides critical funding for food assistance programs, including SNAP. I am concerned about possible amendments to significantly cut the program and fundamentally alter how the program operates. SNAP provides an important safety net for households that have fallen on hard times.

Throughout the country, food banks and pantries that rely on Federal assistance are the front line of the fight against hunger, providing emergency food assistance to hungry families. At a time when millions of middle class Americans are struggling to keep up with higher gas prices, grocery bills, and health care costs, more families are looking to federal programs for assistance. Throughout the country, federal hunger assistance programs have responded to this growing need by providing essential support to hungry families. Over the past 2 years, Illinois food banks have seen a 50 percent increase in requests for food assistance.

As Americans struggle to make ends meet, they rely on food pantries to fill gaps in their grocery needs. The Central Illinois Food Bank is one of many in my State that help to meet that need. Central Illinois Food Bank celebrates its 30th anniversary today. In its

first year, the food bank had one truck and a staff of three and distributed 700,000 pounds of food to 85 agencies. The food bank now serves 150 agencies and distributes 800,000 pounds of food a month. Last year, the food bank helped over 100,000 families and provided well over 1 million pounds of fresh produce. I am grateful to the Central Illinois Food Bank for its work on the front lines of the fight to end hunger and for the safety net it provides for families having trouble putting food on the table.

The millions of Americans who rely on safety net anti-hunger 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. Hunger in America is not something we can ignore. At a time when families are working to make ends meet, this isn't the place we should be looking to for cuts. We cannot return to the scenes that Senator Robert Kennedy witnessed decades ago. We should honor his legacy by protecting these programs that help families out food on the table. No family should have to wonder where their next meal will come from.

Sen. Sheldon WhitehouseD-RI · Jun 6, 2012

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 484, which was submitted earlier today. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to,…

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Agreed to SenateIssued June 6, 2012

III

112th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. RES. 484

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 6, 2012

Mr. Boozman (for himself, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Casey, Mr. Moran, Mr. Brown of Ohio, and Mr. Leahy) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

RESOLUTION

Designating June 7, 2012, as National Hunger Awareness Day.

Whereas food insecurity and hunger are a fact of life for millions of individuals in the United States and can produce physical, mental, and social impairments;

Whereas recent data published by the Department of Agriculture shows that approximately 48,800,000 individuals in the United States live in households experiencing hunger or food insecurity, and of that number, 32,600,000 are adults and 16,200,000 are children;

Whereas the Department of Agriculture data also shows that households with children experience food insecurity nearly twice as frequently as households without children;

Whereas 4.8 percent of all households in the United States (approximately 5,600,000 households) have accessed emergency food from a food pantry 1 or more times;

Whereas the report entitled Household Food Security in the United States, 2010, published by the Economic Research Service of the Department of Agriculture, found that in 2010, the most recent year for which data exists—

(1)

14.5 percent of all households in the United States experienced food insecurity at some point during the year;

(2)

20.2 percent of all households with children in the United States experienced food insecurity at some point during the year; and

(3)

7.9 percent of all households with elderly individuals in the United States experienced food insecurity at some point during the year;

Whereas the problem of hunger and food insecurity can be found in rural, suburban, and urban portions of the United States, touching nearly every community in the country;

Whereas, although substantial progress has been made in reducing the incidence of hunger and food insecurity in the United States, many Americans remain vulnerable to hunger and the negative effects of food insecurity;

Whereas the people of the United States have a long tradition of providing food assistance to hungry individuals through acts of private generosity and public support programs;

Whereas the Federal Government provides nutritional support to millions of individuals through numerous Federal food assistance programs, including—

(1)

the supplemental nutrition assistance program established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.);

(2)

the child nutrition program established under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.);

(3)

the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children established by section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786);

(4)

the emergency food assistance program established under the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (7 U.S.C. 7501 et seq.); and

(5)

food donation programs;

Whereas there is a growing awareness of the important role that community-based organizations, institutions of faith, and charities play in assisting hungry and food-insecure individuals;

Whereas more than 61,000 local, community-based organizations rely on the support and efforts of more than 600,000 volunteers to provide food assistance and services to millions of vulnerable people; and

Whereas all people of the United States can participate in hunger relief efforts in their communities by—

(1)

donating food and money to hunger relief efforts;

(2)

volunteering for hunger relief efforts; and

(3)

supporting public policies aimed at reducing hunger: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate—

(1)

designates June 7, 2012, as National Hunger Awareness Day; and

(2)

calls on the people of the United States to observe National Hunger Awareness Day—

(A)

with appropriate ceremonies, volunteer activities, and other support for anti-hunger advocacy efforts and hunger relief charities, including food banks, food rescue organizations, food pantries, soup kitchens, and emergency shelters; and

(B)

by improving programs and public policies that reduce hunger and food insecurity in the United States.