Dick Lugar: “Hunger relief continues to be a top priority for the Agriculture Committee. That will always be the case. One priority…”

“Hunger relief continues to be a top priority for the Agriculture Committee. That will always be the case. One priority should be that States should have the flexibility they need to determine how vehicles are counted under the Food Stamp Program since States know best about the transportation needs of the families. I wish to take advantage of this opportunity simply to say that in my own State of Indiana I have been visiting food banks, four very substantial efforts in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, and in Lewisville, serving nine Indiana counties. The reason for my doing that is that the demands for food from these food banks and from the food pantries that they serve have increased very substantially during the last year. In part, it comes because of a transition from welfare to work. A number of individual Americans--and a 7-State survey pointed out--these individuals have, in fact, accepted jobs. A majority of those who were on welfare rolls in Indiana have moved into jobs.”