Expressing the Commitment of the House of RepMcresentatives to Building on the Twenty Years of Success of the George Govern-Robert Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program
Floor Speech
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Mr. MANN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1156.
Twenty years ago, Kansas legend and hero of mine Senator Bob Dole and Senator George McGovern reached across the aisle to gather bipartisan support for their noble idea to have the U.S. Department of Agriculture purchase surplus American commodities from producers and donate those products to countries across the globe struggling with food security.
Since then, the McGovern-Dole Program has provided 5.5 billion school meals to 31 million school-age children in 48 countries, improving the food security, nutrition, literacy, and primary education of these children and their families.
Codified as part of 2002 farm bill, the program is an ongoing, successful example of public-private partnerships. The U.S. Department of Agriculture works alongside nonprofit organizations, cooperatives, and organizations like the World Food Programme, Catholic Relief Services, World Vision, Save the Children, Mercy Corps, and many more to provide school meals, teacher training, and related support to bolster school enrollment and academic performance, all to keep kids fed and learning.
Just in the past 2 months, I have heard nothing but excitement about this program from both wheat farmers at home and sorghum producers who visited with me in my office here in Washington, D.C. There is a reason all commodity groups and humanitarian aid organizations support moving this legislation forward.
Whether it is wheat and sorghum from Kansas, red beans from Louisiana, or peanut butter formula made from Georgia peanuts, American agricultural producers are vital to the success of the McGovern-Dole Program. Since the program's inception, they have proudly donated more than 1.3 metric tons of commodities to create nutritious school meals.
Representative McGovern and I, along with 86 cosponsors, have brought this resolution forward to the House to express this body's commitment to build on the success of the McGovern-Dole Program and to support the American farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers who provide the commodities required for it to function.
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Mr. MANN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Rouzer).
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Mr. MANN. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. MANN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.
It has been a privilege to advocate for this resolution today. The McGovern-Dole program absolutely deserves the recognition of Congress for its wide support and bipartisan nature.
It is not often that you can go to a grain elevator in Kansas to speak with commodity groups and visit with nuns from Catholic Charities in Washington, D.C. and hear them both advocating for the exact same program. More than 200 commodity groups, trade associations, humanitarian groups, and businesses support this program for its merits and support today's resolution.
This resolution honors the positive impact that we can have when we reach across the aisle and work together. Senators Bob Dole and George McGovern had a brilliant vision, and they executed on it. It has been a joy to work with Representative McGovern and more than 86 cosponsors on today's resolution.
Today, we honor the 20th anniversary of the McGovern-Dole program because it is a shining example of strategic and effective foreign diplomacy that we can all support. Today, I urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this simple bipartisan resolution.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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