Senator increases funding for humanitarian relief by $400 million

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate yesterday approved the FY09 Supplemental Appropriations bill which included Sen. Herb Kohl’s proposal to increase funding for the “Food for Peace” program by $400 million to meet acute and growing hunger needs around the world.  This brings the total for “Food for Peace,” or PL480, to $700 million.  Last month, Kohl met with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to assess the additional demands anticipated for food relief this year.  Kohl also raised the issue with Secretary Clinton at an Appropriations Committee hearing on April 30^th, at which time the Secretary acknowledged that food crises around the world have worsened.

“This legislation will help bring much needed funding to help decrease food shortages worldwide,” Kohl said. “There is an obvious and growing problem that people are not getting the proper food and nutrition they so desperately need. The ‘Food for Peace’ program is a great first step in order to counter this ever increasing problem.”

Kohl is Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations panel with jurisdiction over the country’s two major international food relief programs, PL480 and the McGovern-Dole program for child nutrition.   

Kohl is working toward a coordinated, government-wide application of public and private resources to combat global hunger in a sustainable way and in a manner that promotes the U.S. national security agenda.   He continues to emphasize that U.S. agriculture and USDA programs can make contributions to this effort through long-standing relationships with the nation's land grant university network and other partners. 

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