Tony Hall: “The amendment essentially restores $10 million that has been cut from the emergency food assistance program, it is…”

“The amendment essentially restores $10 million that has been cut from the emergency food assistance program, it is called TEFAP, in the fiscal year 1999 agriculture appropriations bill. This additional $10 million is needed to fully fund this critical antihunger program at the authorized level of $100 million. There is no question that more and more Americans are hungry and they are turning to food banks throughout our Nation for help. Study after study, Second Harvest, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, my own study shows that there has been countless news reports of more and more people asking for food. If Members have any doubts, visit the local food banks in their own districts. I hate to be here cutting good programs, but hungry people ought to come first. The United States has the strongest economy in a generation, and yet hunger remains a serious problem for many people. The cuts that I propose still leave these programs with funding levels that have increased over the past year, and they keep funding for food banks flat. When we cut food stamps by $23 billion to pay for welfare reform, we committed to paying $145 million to cover the increased demand on food banks. That is nowhere near enough to do the job. But cutting food banks even further in a year of increased need is unconscionable.”