III 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 634 

Recognizing July 30, 2008, as the 40th anniversary of the enactment of 

the resolution establishing the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition 

and Human Needs. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 30, 2008 

Mr. CASEY (for himself, Mr. CHAMBLISS, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. KERRY, Mr. 

SANDERS, Mrs. LINCOLN, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. ROBERTS, Mrs. DOLE, 

Mr. PRYOR, Mr. SMITH, Mr. JOHNSON, Mrs. CLINTON, and Mr. FEINGOLD) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

SEPTEMBER 22 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 17), 2008 

Committee discharged; considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing July 30, 2008, as the 40th anniversary of the 

enactment of the resolution establishing the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs. 

Whereas, on April 26, 1968, after viewing the CBS Emmyaward winning documentary ‘‘Hunger in America,’’ Senator George McGovern introduced a resolution to establish a Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human 

Needs; 


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SRES 634 ATS 

Whereas the resolution establishing the Select Committee on 

Nutrition and Human Needs was enacted on July 30, 

1968; 

Whereas Senator George McGovern served as the Chairman 

of the Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs 

from 1968 to 1977; 

Whereas July 30, 2008, marks the 40th anniversary of the 

enactment of the resolution establishing the Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs, which later became the foundation of the current Subcommittee on Nutrition and Food Assistance, Sustainable and Organic 

Agriculture, and General Legislation Jurisdiction of the 

Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; 

Whereas Senator George McGovern was committed to exposing the failure of Federal food assistance programs to 

reach citizens lacking in adequate quantities and quality 

of food; 

Whereas Senators George McGovern and Robert Dole worked 

tirelessly in their respective roles on the Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs to develop a bipartisan Federal response to hunger; 

Whereas the Select Committee on Nutrition and Human 

Needs played a key role in educating Congress, the Federal Government, and the Nation at large about the magnitude of hunger in the United States; 

Whereas the work of the Select Committee on Nutrition and 

Human Needs was vital to reforming the Federal food 

stamp program, culminating in the passage of the Food 

Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), which made 

the program more efficient and more accessible to those 


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most in need by finally eliminating the requirement that 

Americans pay for a portion of their food stamps; 

Whereas the work of the Select Committee on Nutrition and 

Human Needs was essential to expanding the school 

lunch program established under the National School 

Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) and permanently establishing the school breakfast program under section 4 

of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773), the 

child and adult care food program under section 17 of 

the National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1766), and 

the summer food service program for children under section 13 of that Act (42 U.S.C. 1761); 

Whereas the work of the Select Committee on Nutrition and 

Human Needs was instrumental in the establishment of 

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) (WIC); 

Whereas the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, 

and Forestry remains committed to continuing the important work begun by Senators George McGovern and Robert Dole of providing a Federal response to hunger; 

Whereas the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, 

and Forestry provided a record-level amount of nutrition 

funding in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 

2008 (Public Law 110–246; 122 Stat. 1651) to reform 

and strengthen Federal nutrition assistance programs; 

Whereas, through the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 

2008 (Public Law 110–246; 122 Stat. 1651), the Senate 

Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry made 

key improvements to the food stamp program, including— 


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(1) increasing the food purchasing ability of low-income households by accounting for food cost inflation; 

(2) increasing the minimum benefit; 

(3) encouraging retirement and education savings; 

and 

(4) allowing families to account for child care costs 

in calculating food assistance; 

Whereas, through the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 

2008 (Public Law 110–246; 122 Stat. 1651), the Senate 

Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

helped to strengthen the domestic food assistance safety 

net by providing significant funding to increase commodity purchases for local area food banks; 

Whereas, in 2008, more than 28,000,000 people in the 

United States participate in the food stamp program; 

Whereas, in 2008, more than 17,500,000 low-income children 

receive free or reduced-price meals through the national 

school lunch program; 

Whereas despite Federal food assistance programs, 

35,500,000 people in the United States, including 

12,600,000 children, continue to live in households considered to be food insecure; 

Whereas children who live in households lacking access to 

sufficient food are more likely to be in poorer physical 

health than children from food secure households; and 

Whereas children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of 

food insecurity because undernutrition can have adverse 

impacts on emotional health, behavior, school performance, and cognitive development: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 


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1 (1) recognizes July 30, 2008, as the 40th anni2 versary of the enactment of the resolution estab3 lishing the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition 

4 and Human Needs; 

5 (2) recognizes the substantial contributions the 

6 Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs 

7 made in ensuring that effective and efficient Federal 

8 food assistance programs were accessible to those 

9 most in need; 

10 (3) recognizes that hunger continues to be an 

11 issue plaguing the United States; and 

12 (4) supports the continued efforts of Federal, 

13 State, and local governments and private non-profit 

14 organizations to eradicate hunger in the United 

15 States. 

Æ 


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