Ending the Hunger Epidemic
According to the latest statistics, around 95,000 families in Washington state suffer from hunger. Each day, approximately three hundred thousand families in Washington are forced to choose between putting food on the table and paying their bills. Worst of all, 39% of those served by Food Lifeline, Washington’s largest hunger relief agency, are children. In the wealthiest and most agriculture-rich nation in the world this is simply unacceptable. That is why fighting hunger is one of my top priorities in Congress.
In 2006, I held a series of roundtable events across the 2nd Congressional District bringing together farmers, people on food assistance, hunger activists, state and local agencies and other community members to build partnerships to combat hunger. I will keep working in Congress to bring federal initiatives to Washington state to help fight hunger and deliver healthy foods to children and seniors in need.
Fighting Hunger through the Farm Bill
Congress has the opportunity to improve our national hunger and nutrition policy this year as we rewrite the Farm Bill. The House passed our version of the 2007 Farm Bill in July and included important improvements to the Food Stamp program, the Emergency Food Assistance Program, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, and other vital programs which reduce hunger. As the Senate writes their version of the bill and we reconcile the two, I will continue to work hard to make sure that these initiatives receive get the resources they need to deliver nutritious food to those who need it most.
EAT Healthy America Act
In 2007, I worked with a bipartisan coalition to write and introduce the EAT Healthy America Act (H.R. 1600). This bill takes an innovative approach to reducing hunger and improving nutrition by promoting the consumption of fruits and vegetables and increasing access to a nutritious food supply. Many of the provisions of the EAT Healthy America were included in the House passed 2007 Farm Bill. These include:
- Expanding access to fresh fruits and vegetables for school lunches
- Strengthening the Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program to improve dietary and health outcomes for low-income Americans
- Developing a pilot program to encourage Food Stamp recipients to buy more fruits and vegetables
- Allowing low-income seniors to purchase more healthful food at farmers' markets and roadside stands
These and other provisions would not only reduce hunger, they would help our kids and seniors get the nutritious foods they need for a healthful diet.
