Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 108 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 108 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 150 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2004 No. 6 House of Representatives The House met at 12:30 p.m. and was had to attend school in order to get the serves our national security interests called to order by the Speaker pro tem- meals. by attacking the breeding grounds of pore (Mr. BONNER). Providing food to malnourished chil- terrorism, hunger, poverty, ignorance, f dren in schools is one of the most effec- and despair, while at the same time en- tive strategies to fight hunger and pov- suring that children are fed in settings DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO erty. Where programs are offered, en- where they receive a quality education TEMPORE rollment and attendance rates increase rather than hate-filled indoctrination. The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- significantly, particularly for girls. In- But rather than expanding this pro- fore the House the following commu- stead of working or searching for food gram to reach even more school-age nication from the Speaker: to combat hunger, children have the children, to help stabilize communities WASHINGTON, DC, chance to go to school. Providing food devastated by HIV/AIDS, and to sup- January 27, 2004. at school is a simple but effective port HIV/AIDS orphans so that they I hereby appoint the Honorable JO BONNER means to improve literacy and help might contribute to the future of their to act as Speaker pro tempore on this day. poor children break out of poverty. nations rather than burden them, we J. DENNIS HASTERT, The McGovern-Dole program helps us cut this program once again. Speaker of the House of Representatives. to achieve many of our foreign policy On November 26, the United Nations f goals and communicates America’s Food and Agriculture Organization re- compassion to those around the world. MORNING HOUR DEBATES leased its 2003 report on hunger. It And at the end of the day, it will be found that after falling steadily during The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- programs like McGovern-Dole that will the 1990s, hunger is again on the rise. ant to the order of the House of Janu- ultimately triumph over poverty and In the developing world, the number of ary 20, 2004, the Chair will now recog- terror. malnourished people grew by an aver- nize Members from lists submitted by One year ago, in February 2003, the age of 4.5 million a year for the past 3 the majority and minority leaders for U.S. Department of Agriculture evalu- years. The report also found that hun- morning hour debates. The Chair will ated this program, and the conclusions ger exacerbates the AIDS crisis, drives alternate recognition between the par- were overwhelmingly positive. In addi- rural people into the cities, and forces ties, with each party limited to not to tion to significantly reducing the inci- women and children to trade sex for exceed 30 minutes, and each Member, dence of hunger among school-age chil- food and money. except the majority leader, the minor- dren, the program was also found to Yet over the past 3 years, we have ity leader, or the minority whip, lim- promote educational opportunity, espe- cut funding for the McGovern-Dole ited to not to exceed 5 minutes. cially for girls, among some of the school feeding program so that it is The Chair recognizes the gentleman poorest populations in the world. now one-sixth of what it once was. This from Massachusetts (Mr. MCGOVERN) Sadly, in fiscal year 2003, McGovern- means that 84 out of every 100 children for 5 minutes. Dole received only $100 million in fund- we were feeding and schooling under f ing, reducing the number of children this program in 2001 have been cut off served to scarcely more than 2 million from this food source. They now either THE U.S. MUST DO MORE TO worldwide in just 28 countries. In fiscal go to school hungry or have once again FIGHT CHILD HUNGER year 2004, President Bush only asked dropped out of school. Mr. MCGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, on De- for $50 million, and acting under severe Mr. Speaker, this is a disgrace, plain cember 11, 102 Members of Congress budget constraints, this is what Con- and simple. sent a bipartisan letter to President gress provided. In brief, for fiscal year Mr. Speaker, we are going in the Bush asking him to restore the original 2004, the United States will literally be wrong direction, not just for the chil- funding level for the George McGovern- taking food out of the mouths of yet dren of the world, but for the security Robert Dole International Food for another 1 million hungry children and of our Nation. If as a nation we are Education Program when he submits forcing many of their families to re- committed to defeating terrorism, then his fiscal year 2005 budget next week. move them from school. we must increase and fully fund pro- The McGovern-Dole program began The senior Senator from Kansas and grams like McGovern-Dole, along with as a $300 million pilot program in 2001. the chairman of the Senate Intel- other food aid and development pro- It provided at least one nutritious meal ligence Committee, PAT ROBERTS, has grams. each day to nearly 7 million children in stated on a number of occasions his be- If as a nation we are committed to 38 countries. The catch? These children lief that the McGovern-Dole program addressing hunger, poverty, illiteracy, b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H101 . VerDate jul 14 2003 02:48 Jan 28, 2004 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A27JA7.000 H27PT1 H102 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 27, 2004 and ignorance, then we must increase We firmly believe that these programs re- This program was to help Mexico’s and restore full funding to the McGov- duce the risk of terrorism by helping to President Fox as part of a large am- ern-Dole program and our other food eliminate the hopelessness and despair that nesty plan that has been in the works aid and development programs. breed terrorism. American products and since September 11 after the terrorist commodities are directly associated with And if we, as a nation, are committed hunger alleviation and educational oppor- attacks. But, Mr. Speaker, a question to helping educate the children of the tunity, encouraging support and good will could be asked, why are we rewarding a world, especially girls, then we must for the United States in these communities country that has been opposed to our increase and restore full funding to the and countries. war on terror? McGovern-Dole program. We strongly urge that you restore the ca- According to the Subcommittee on Mr. Speaker, I call on President Bush pacity of this critically important program Social Security of the House Com- and the congressional leadership to re- by providing $300 million for Fiscal Year mittee on Ways and Means, benefits store full funding in fiscal year 2005 to 2005. paid to retirees will exceed revenues in Sincerely, the George McGovern-Robert Dole James P. McGovern, Frank Wolf, Jo Ann just 15 years. The pay-as-you-go sys- International Food for Education Pro- Emerson, Marcy Kaptur, Doug Bereuter, tem could have serious financial prob- gram. It is truly a matter of life or Tom Lantos, Earl Pomeroy, Amo Houghton, lems in the year 2030. These projections death. Barbara Lee, Sam Graves, Edolphus Towns, do not take into account the economic CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES, Don Manzullo, Vic Snyder, Jim Leach, impact of the ‘‘guest worker’’ proposal, Washington, DC, December 11, 2003. Tammy Baldwin, Christopher Smith (NJ), which would allow untold millions of Hon. GEORGE W. BUSH, Marty Meehan, Doc Hastings (WA), Dennis illegal aliens from Mexico to collect President of the United States, Moore, George Nethercutt, John Olver, Jerry benefits for themselves and their fami- Washington, DC. Moran (KS), Bennie G. Thompson (MS), Todd Tiahrt, Adam Schiff, David Price, Maurice lies from their home country without DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: We are writing to having to work the required number of urge you to provide $300 million in your Fis- Hinchey, James Oberstar, Betty McCollum, cal Year 2005 Budget Proposal for the George William Delahunt, Bob Filner, Jan years that law-abiding citizens must McGovern-Robert Dole International Food Schakowsky, Sheila Jackson Lee, Leonard work to be eligible for these same pay- for Education and Child Nutrition Program. Boswell, Gary Ackerman, George Miller, outs. We believe it is urgent to restore funding for Dale Kildee, Julia Carson (IN), Albert Wynn, The deal may cost overburdened U.S. this program at levels similar to those of the Carolyn Maloney, Bobby Rush, Diana taxpayers over the next 20 years also. original pilot program. Christensen, Raul M. Grijalva, Bob Supporters of this ‘‘guest worker’’ pro- Etheridge, Pete Stark, Jim McDermott, Jim We strongly believe this funding is critical gram call this program, ‘‘totalization.’’ for sustaining and expanding the McGovern- Matheson, Jerry Costello, Mike Capuano, Jo- seph Crowley, Susan Davis (CA), Rosa I am not sure what they mean. But, Dole Program in order to combat terrorism this proposed agreement could be and to help build and consolidate democracy DeLauro, Martin Frost, Rick Larsen (WA), in the Middle East, southern Asia, the Near Sander Levin, thought of as a transfer of wealth from East, and in other regions critical to U.S.