Senate Proceeding on Apr 28th, 2008 :: 0:26:30 to 0:39:38
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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: officer: the clerk will call the roll. [inaudible] the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. quorum call: pshpp&x : quorum call: a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the

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Speech By: Robert P. Casey, Jr.

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: senator from pennsylvania. a senator: mr. president, i would ask that the quorum call be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. casey: mr. president, i rise today to

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: highlight the growing food security crisis which faces the united states and countries around the world. the short-term challenges that we face as a result of this food security crisis are economic,

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: strategic, political and humanitarian. allteletext of these chaenges we face are already being faced by the most vulnerable in our society.

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: here in the united states, this crisis comes on the heels of so many other trying circumstances confronting poornd working families across america. our nation is facing an economic recession and ever-rising

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: unemployment rates. many of those who remain employed find themselves working more hours and yet earning less because their wages have not kept up with inflation. while their incomes have declined, the

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: unprecedented cost of food and home energy have continued to soar. many of these same families are also facing mortgage and housing crises, which may force them to forego ownership of the house they

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: once considered their slice of the american dream. inhort, many families who just years or even months ago were living comfortably are now struggling just to get by. as a result, the increase in

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: food prices over the last several months has just added one more pressure to an already overburdened american families. increasingly, these families are stretched to the breaking point and are turning

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: to federal food assistance programs and food banks for some measure of relief. i've seen this trend repeated firsthand at food banks and in headlines across pennsylvania. just a couple of examples:

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: the allen town morning call -- quote -- this is a headline -- "heavy demand at food bank and kitchens is a grim economic indicator for the valley," meaning the lehigh valley." more seeking food stamps.

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: recipients in pennsylvania rise 9.5%. "working poor struggle to get by." the "pittsburgh tribune review -- quote -- "demand for food stamps very close to record." all across the state and across

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: the country, the same headlines, the same story, the same economic trauma because of a food security challenge that we face. the data show evidence of this disturbing trend. the demand for food stamps

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: in pennsylvania is skyrocketing. back in december of 2000, before this current president took office, approximately 757,000 pennsylvanians, one out of every 16, were enrolled in the food stamp program. this

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: past december that number has risen dramatically to 1.4 million pennsylvanians, accounting for one out of every ten state residents. 757,000 to 1.14 million pennsylvanians. this trend shows no sign

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: of stopping. from december 2007 to march of 2008, pennsylvania enrolled an average of 10,000 new individuals in food stamps every month, bringing total enrollment to 1.18 million. but the situation in

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: our state is far from unique. all across the country the number of individuals enrolling in the food stamp program continues to rise to historic rates.~ from december 2006 to december 2007, more

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: than 40 states saw recipient numbers rise. in seven of those states, the one-year rate of growth topped 10%. the congressional budget office predicts that starting in fiscal year 2009, 28 million americans

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: will be enrolled in the food stamp program. 28 million americans. the most ever enrolled in this program since its inception 40 years ago. for the millions of americans struggling from the effects of

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: economic recession and rising food stamps -- food prices, i should say, but making too much to qualify for food stamps, food banks can provide some measure of respite by providing food to those who

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: could not otherwise afford it. unfortunately, these food banks are struggling as well from a combination of increasing food prices, decreasing donations and increase the demand. whole -- increased

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: demand. wholesale prices for such foods as eggs, flour, fruit, rice and vegetables have dramatically spiked in the last eight years. for food banks, this spike resulted in diminished purchasing power,

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: translating into the availability of fewer supplies to meet an ever-increasing demand. while there is no accurate nationwide or even statewide data to show the effect increased prices and increased demand are

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: having on food bank supplies, tbren news articles, television stories and firsthand reports from those work food banks that this food security crisis has adversely affected emergency food assistance

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: programs in every state across the country. the senate-passed version of the 2007 food and energy security act, otherwise known by the shorthand, the farm bill, includes several measures intended to

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: shore up federal antihunger assistance programs. in fact, 67% of the funding of this bill, the food and energy security act, is dedicated to protecting americans from hunger. 67% of the bill provisions

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: incorporated in the bill combat hunger and they include measures to increase the value of food stamp benefits and language to increase the annual level of federal commodity purchases for food banks from

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: $140 million to $250 million in the bill 6789 unfortunately, while -- in the bill. urvelings while the house and the senate are making strides in bring bringing the two versions together energy and food

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: security act, the longer it takes to complete this bill, the longer struggling americans must wait for some measure of relief. but rising food prices and their effect on poor and working families are only

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: part of the food security equation. while part of the increase in food prices can be attributed to the rising fuel and energy costs needed to produce and distribute these products, the far bigger

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: driver behind those increased costs is lack of supply. internationally as well as domestically, food prices veb affected by severe shortages -- have been affected by severe shortages and record inflation of

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: major food commodities such as corn, rice, soybeans and bheevment the head of the world food program has called the food crisis a -- quote -- "silent tsunami," affecting the world's most vulnerable

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: without regard to geography or traditional borders. world bank president robert zoellick has said that surging food costs could translate into -- quote -- "seven lost years." "seven lost years" in the fight

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: against worldwide poverty. weather disasters and crop losses have caused devastating shortages across africa and the asia pacific, leading to historically low levels of world stocks of key commodities.

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: australia, one of the leading worldwide wheat producers and exporters, has endured several consecutive years of drought a last year lost 60% of its total wheel wheet harvest. floods -- total wheat harvest.

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: floods in asia have destroyed global production centers of rice and wheat as well. the rapid economic growth of china and india have lifted millions out of poverty but it's also succeeded in creating

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: a new middle class complete western appetites for a diet of expheet protein. while foods -- meat and protein. while foods like expries wheat remain a staple of the traditional diet, increased demand

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: from china and india from meat from grain-fed animals is producing a strain on global supply and will only grow over time. many of the commodity supplies that these countries once exported are now

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: being used for domestic production. threatened by shortages at home, many countries have banned exports of critical foodstuffs. disrupting supplies for neighbors and trading partners and sending shock waves

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: through the global markets. import dependent crs countries like the philippines are left with no choice but to pay top dollar to forestall future crises. others have added artificial incentives

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: to attract food imports. these counterproductive actions only exacerbate food shortages and foster a beggar-thy-neighbor approach. the u.s. must use -- must works i should say, with the u.n. and other international

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: -- must work, i should say, with the u.n. and other international actors to increase production. we must start looking at mid- and long-term strategies for helping countries deal with this crisis.

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: higher food prices not only increase the potential for humanitarian disasters. they can also spark political instability and impact u.s. foreign policy. we have seen the devastating effect that the

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: food shortage has had on developing nations around the world, sparking violence and riots and putting added pressure on already fragile and spurned resourced governments. last week we saw protesters in

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: haiti chant, "we're hungry," and forcing out the prime minister of haiti. food riots have erupted in egypt and ethiopia and troops were used in pakistan and thailand to protect crops and storage

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: centers. according to the united nations food and agricultural organizations, 37 countries -- 37 countries -- are now facing a food security crisis and are at risk of food-related up neefl those countries 6789 in

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: areas of vital concern to u.s. national security, like afghanistan, the food crisis threatens hard-fought progress we have achieved in peace, stability and reconciliation. in darfur, where the refugees

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: and international -- internlings i should say, displaced have already suffered under war, famine and genocide, the international community maybe forced to cut food supplies. the united states can serve its

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: national security and humanitarian objectives by fully funding overseas emergency food assistance programs. in march, i sent a letter to the appropriations committee, along with senator durbin and a number

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: of other members of the senate, calling for a $200 million increase in the fiscal year 2008 supplemental budget request to address the predicted shortfall in u.s. food assistance programs. although president

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: bush advised the under secretary to take out -- take out -- from the bill emerson humanitarian trust to help out from with the crisis, this is only a short-term fix. the u.s. must do more by increasing

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: our bilateral and multilateral contributions and funding to replenish the trust. supplemental funding in p.l. 480 title 2 programs is storable maintain current food aid programs at current levels and

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: meet the increased cost of food, freight and fuel production. america can do more and we must. while don't claim to have all the answers to this mounting domestic and international crisis, i do believe

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: this is an issue deserving of the full attention of the united states senate. we need to begin this effort with passage -- final passage of the 2007 food and energy security act and continue by including

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: funding for domestic and international food aid in the supplemental appropriations. but theseers in and of themselves will not be -- but these measures in and of themselves will not be enough. we must

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: act, we must legislate. th moral gravity of this food security crisis cannot be overstated. it's a matter of economic justice. it's also about preserving human life and alleviating suffering. it's also

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Robert P. Casey, Jr.: a matter of national security 6789 mr. president, i yield the floor, and would -- it's also a matter national security. mr. president, i would yield the floor and would note the absence of a quorum.

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the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: mr. casey: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from pennsylvania. mr. casey: i would ask unanimous consent that the