Date: 2003-09-17
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. it is disconcerting when someone from the other side tries to tell us we are not taking care of problems when we are. Members will find that what was just stated was taken care of in a different bill. But I rise to support the basic bill. H.R. 7. It contains a provision to permit restaurant owners to deduct cost of food donated to hunger relief charities. The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that 96 billion pounds of edible food are wasted and dumped in landfills each year. If even I percent of that food was redirected from landfills to local charities. it will significantly reduce the number of people who have a difficult time getting food on their table. We are talking about wholesome and nutritious food that is left over at grocery stores and restaurants. and even those trays of foods that are left at the end of the night at receptions that we all attend. It is a shame for that food to go to waste. With the tax incentives included in this bill. companies will have an added incentive to make sure that this food goes to a good cause. the hungry. I also want to talk about the provisions in the bill that help foundations. I work with many of tie Texasbased foundations to make sure this bill does the good it is supposed to do without harming foundations like the Meadows Foundation in Dallas. which has allocated $25 million for grants for 2003. including a $3 million emergency loan fund available to assist agencies that are facing crises. That is a lot of money from one foundation. I am glad to say the money pretty much stays in the State of Texas. One of my favorite projects of the Meadows Foundation is the Wilson District. which is a nonprofit community established by the foundation in 1981 to restore and preserve some of the last Victorian structures in Dallas. Its mission is to provide rentfree office space. We need to pass this bill and help our foundations and our charities. I also want to talk about the provisions in this bill that help foundations. I worked with many of the Texasbased foundations to make sure that this bill does the good it is supposed to do without harming foundations like the Meadows Foundation based in Dallas. The Meadows Foundation has allocated $25 million toward grants for the year 2003. Including a $3 million emergency loan fund available to assist those agencies that are facing crisis situations. This is a lot of money from one foundation and Im glad to say that the money pretty much stays in Texas. One of my favorite projects of the Meadows Foundation Is the Wilson district. It Is a nonprofit community established by the foundation In 1981 to restore and preserve some of the last Victorian structures in Dallas but its mission is to provide rentfree office space to nonprofit charitable organizations. Groups like the Greater Dallas Community of Churches. the Suicide and Crisis Center. the United Negro College Fund. the Center for Housing Resources. and Dallas Reads are all able to have office space that lets them focus on the good and charitable works they do without having to worry about the rent. the light bill or other office space concerns. It is this direct charitable work by foundations that I felt needed to be protected in this bill. I thank Chairman THOMAS and the majority whip for working to be sure that necessary changes were made to this bill.