National Food Day

Floor Speech

* Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, today is National Food Day--a full day devoted to all aspects of the American food system: farms, industry, grocers, schools, and most importantly people. One stated goal of Food Day is to ``expand access to food and alleviate hunger.'' Mr. Speaker, it's unconscionable that hunger continues to exist in America. Nearly 50 million Americans go hungry every year. Over 17 million--one third--of them are children. The sad truth is hunger is a reality in every community. There is not one part of America, not one Congressional district, that isn't touched by hunger.

* In my own district, as in many others places in America, volunteers help to alleviate hunger. On Saturday, I joined children and their parents in gleaning apples. We picked fresh, healthy fruit from an orchard to be delivered to the local food bank. If not for these volunteers, the apples would go to waste. It's an inevitable part of farming--produce that isn't ripe or is missed in the initial harvest stays on the trees or in the fields--because going back for a second harvest is too costly.

* At times volunteering is costly too. Transporting gleaned food to the very people who rely on it takes time and fuel. And we're finding that the transportation costs are becoming a barrier to delivering gleaned food, and this fresh produce is left to rot in the fields instead of helping to feed hungry Americans.

* That is why Representative Emerson and I introduced H.R. 3177, the Hunger Relief

Trucking Tax Credit Act. This bill would encourage and reward individuals and businesses who haul gleaned food from one location to another within the U.S. Many trucking companies and individuals pay for transportation of this food out of their own pockets. The Hunger Relief Trucking Tax Credit Act would create a 25 cent tax credit for each mile that food is transported for a charity by a donated truck and driver for hunger relief efforts. This legislation will support those who are already transporting food donations and entice more companies to do so. We must make every effort to bring food to those who rely on it to feed themselves and their families.

* As we celebrate National Food Day, I urge my colleagues to join us by cosponsoring this important legislation.

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