Speech of Senator Lugar Lugar speech to the Congressional Hunger Center Wednesday, June 16, 2010 I am honored to receive the Bill Emerson and Mickey Leland Hunger Leadership Award from the Congressional Hunger Center. Since its founding in 1993, the Center has been at the forefront of the fight against hunger, both at home and abroad. Ambassador Tony Hall, with Representatives Bill Emerson and Frank Wolf, were instrumental in making this vibrant center come to life. Representatives Jim McGovern and Jo Ann Emerson have long been stalwart advocates on hunger, and I appreciate their collaboration on a number of related issues. Their leadership of the Roadmap bill in the House and their support for the Lugar-Casey-McCollum Global Food Security Act have been important factors as we work toward passage of meaningful legislation that will complement the Administration’s Feed the Future Initiative. I also am deeply honored to be recognized with Representative John Lewis, whose service I have long admired. Throughout his career he has been a powerful force for improving the lives of individual Americans and strengthening the fabric of our society. Earlier this year, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry passed legislation that will make great strides in child nutrition by removing junk food from schools, improving the nutritional quality of meals, and expanding food access for children who are at risk of malnourishment.  I strongly support these efforts, and the many improvements that have been made to child nutrition programs during my Senate career, because proper nutrition is indispensible to the growth and learning potential of our coming generations. I will continue to urge the Senate leadership to bring this bi-partisan legislation up for passage without delay. Even as we tackle domestic hunger needs, we also must pay attention to global food insecurity. As the President’s National Security Strategy recognizes, chronic hunger contributes to economic stagnation and global instability that affects our own security. In an effort to improve our nation’s response to global hunger, Senator Casey and I introduced the Global Food Security Act in the Senate. The bill advocates a comprehensive approach that focuses resources in areas where they can be most effective. The bill was reported to the Senate floor by the Foreign Relations Committee, and I am optimistic that we can pass it during this Congress. As we contemplate the best ways to address domestic and global hunger in a time of economic downturn, we must remind ourselves that hunger has its own timetable. It does not wait for convenient political circumstances. In fact, it usually strikes when times are most difficult. It is critical that we not lose our focus on this issue. I thank all of you here this evening for your hard work over many years. Working together, I am confident that we can bring American innovation and leadership to the cause of alleviating hunger. ###