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“MORNING BUSINESS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Senate section on pages S3535 on June 7, 2011.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
MORNING BUSINESS
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NATIONAL HUNGER AWARENESS DAY
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise today in honor of National Hunger Awareness Day. On this day, we focus on the more than 50 million people in the United States without enough to eat and reassert our commitment to assist those in need.
Millions of families live each day not knowing if they will have enough to eat. Rather than thinking about what the next meal will be, these parents worry if there will be a next meal. Rather than concentrate on homework, these children are trying not to think about their hunger pangs. In a nation as resourceful and agriculturally abundant as ours, this is inexcusable. If children--or adults--are hungry in America, that is a problem for all of us.
The level of hunger in our Nation is at the highest level since the government began tracking food insecurity in 1995. The number of Americans experiencing hunger increased from 35.5 million in 2006 to 50 million in 2011. In Illinois, over 11 percent of households are food insecure. These are working families who just aren't able to make ends meet and are forced to skip meals to make sure food will last through the week.
At a time when millions of middle class Americans are struggling to keep up with higher gas prices and grocery bills, 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.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, applications for food stamps are on the rise at the same time recipients are making more frequent use of food pantries to fill gaps in their grocery needs. Over 44 million people nationwide rely on the Federal food stamp program. Currently, 1,802,252 people in Illinois receive food stamps, an increase of 14 percent from last year and the highest level ever in Illinois. But for the millions of people who don't have assistance, everything is different.
We know hunger is a reality in our communities. We see long lines at our food pantries. We have heard from seniors forced to choose between groceries and medication. And children are in our schools who have not had a decent meal since the previous day's school lunch. We see families showing up a day earlier than normal at the food pantry because the monthly pay is not stretching as far it once did. Parents are giving up their own meal to make sure their child has something to eat at night.
Last week, I visited a Summer Food Service Program at the Boys & Girls Club in Decatur, IL. This summer program provides 2 free meals a day to up to 150 children. For the over 500,000 Illinois children in food insecure households, the summertime means months without the free and reduced breakfasts and lunches available in school. Thanks to the Summer Food Service Program, food banks, and food pantries, families who are having a difficult time keeping up in our tough economy are able to put meals on the table. One woman with three kids in the Summer Food Service Program in Decatur said the meals provided in the program help her save money so she can afford to put gas in her car to get to work.
In the Nation that prides itself as the land of plenty, we cannot hide the fact that we need to protect these vital antihunger programs and that we need to do better at making sure everybody has at least enough to eat. As Congress works to rein in our Nation's debt, I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure we make responsible decisions that protect vital antihunger programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Emergency Food Assistance Program.
If there is one hungry person in our Nation, hunger will be a problem for all of us. I hope we will continue to work together to fulfill our duty to end hunger in our Nation and the world.
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