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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20

Administration must restore funds for food banks

I agree with you wholeheartedly ("Congress must fund Bush's call to ease world hunger," Feb. 10) that Congress should meet President Bush's request for $1.5 billion to fight famine overseas.

I am troubled, however, that the administration does not seem to be equally committed to fighting hunger here at home. A recent policy change at the Department of Agriculture could cost New Jersey's food banks as much as 70 percent of their funding in the coming year.

The Department of Agriculture recently announced plans to divert as much as $937 million of Section 32 funds, which help the nation's food banks and soup kitchens purchase food, to provide drought relief for livestock producers in the West. While I certainly agree that we need to supply relief to the struggling livestock industry, we should not do so at the expense of hungry Americans.

Given the present state of the economy, lines at food banks are getting longer, while local, state and private support for hunger relief is declining.

In short, our food-banks are facing a funding famine. I do not believe that we can starve the organizations that provide relief to tens of thousands of families here in New Jersey and even more throughout the country.

I have urged the Secretary of Agriculture to restore Section 32 funds to their original purpose -- to fight hunger.

If she doesn't I will seek to do it legislatively.

Rep. Rush Holt, D-12th Dist.
WASHINGTON, D.C.