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[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 634 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                               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 Emmy-award winning documentary 
        ``Hunger in America,'' Senator George McGovern introduced a resolution 
        to establish a Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs;
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 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--

    (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
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) recognizes July 30, 2008, as the 40th anniversary of 
        the enactment of the resolution establishing the Senate Select 
        Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs;
            (2) recognizes the substantial contributions the Select 
        Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs made in ensuring that 
        effective and efficient Federal food assistance programs were 
        accessible to those most in need;
            (3) recognizes that hunger continues to be an issue 
        plaguing the United States; and
            (4) supports the continued efforts of Federal, State, and 
        local governments and private non-profit organizations to 
        eradicate hunger in the United States.
                                 <all>
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