The United States is one of the wealthiest nations in the world. Our agricultural products compete worldwide and bring billions of dollars into our domestic economy. Sadly, however, hunger is still a problem in our country and it is only getting worst. The federal government to date has clearly failed to address this issue properly. New York City alone has over one million residents who depend on emergency food programs (EFPs). Many of these are children under the age of 18. Countless others are "food insecure"—that is they do not know when their next meal may be.

Although there is a clear need for greater funding for food assistance programs, we are seeing cut after cut to these types of programs. As a result, food kitchens are operating on fewer days, reducing staff and depending on volunteers while others are forced to permanently close their doors. This is unacceptable. With stagnant wages and the rising cost of food, housing, healthcare and other vital necessities, millions of households across America depend on the federal government to help them meet their basic nutritional needs.

The Farm Bill, which is passed every five years by Congress, contains funding to help address some of the nutritional needs of struggling families, senior citizens and people with disabilities. I believe that new investments in the nutrition section of the bill are needed to strengthen vital programs such as Food Stamps, The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). Furthermore, provisions discouraging the use of these benefit programs must be removed. For example, the current finger imaging requirement for the Food Stamp program deters eligible applicants. A 2008 Urban Institute study found that four percent of Food Stamp applicants do not apply because of this requirement. The study also found that this requirement only deterred .002 percent of New York City Food Stamp participants from defrauding the program. I have always opposed these unnecessary restrictions and will continue to do so.

I have also introduced H.R. 206, the Anti-Hunger Empowerment Act of 2007. This legislation would remove the finger imaging requirement from the Food Stamp program. It also would establish a 'Beyond the Soup Kitchen Pilot Program' that would provide grants to anti-hunger and community-based nonprofit feeding organizations that help low-income Americans. This legislation is also a step in the right direction to address issues such as obesity. Above all, it will help more eligible Americans participate in food assistance programs.

Lastly, to properly address the growing hunger problem in our nation, we need comprehensive solutions that address hunger within the broader context of poverty. Many people that depend on EFPs live in low-income neighborhoods where there is a lack of access to healthy organic foods. This in turn is closely associated with the high rates of obesity, diabetes and other diseases that are common in urban areas. I have supported efforts to increase funding to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Snack Program and the Department of Defense's Vegetable Program, programs that provide healthy foods to schools.

I look forward to working with my colleagues in addressing hunger and other food related issues that affect our society.