Hunger Action Month

Floor Speech

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, in honor of Hunger Action Month, I want to say a few words about the real and lingering problem of hunger and food insecurity. Hunger has no boundaries. In a Nation that prides itself as the land of plenty, more than 47 million people--including more than 1 in 5 children--do not know how they will put food on their table.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, is one of our most important antihunger programs. More than 80 percent of SNAP households have incomes below the poverty line, which is less than $500 a week for a family of four. Seventy percent of SNAP participants are in families with children, and more than 25 percent are in households with seniors or people with disabilities. Basic sustenance ought to be a guarantee in a civilized society, not a gamble. If children or adults are hungry in America, that is a problem for all of us, and it is a problem we can do something about.

I have traveled across my State and met families and parents that rely on food assistance and heard their stories. They are our neighbors, they are hardworking people who lost their job or got sick. They are seniors living on a limited income.

They are people like Maureen, who works cleaning houses. Her husband fell ill and had to stop working due to a disability. Maureen struggles to put food on the table for her two daughters in high school. Her husband's doctor says he needs to eat more vegetables, but Maureen says they are just too expensive. The $126 a month in SNAP benefits Maureen receives help, but she still struggles and relies on a food pantry to feed her family. Unfortunately, Maureen is just one of the more than 1.8 million Illinoisans who do not know where their next meal will come from.

The millions of Americans, like Maureen, who rely on safety net antihunger programs, may not have the loudest voice in the debate or big public relations firms, but we must protect these programs and work to improve the lives of vulnerable families, children, and seniors at their time of need.

Hunger in America is not something we can ignore. No family should have to wonder where their next meal will come from. As a co-chair of the Senate Hunger Caucus, I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues and those in the antihunger community to shine a light on this important issue and eliminate domestic hunger.

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