Category: Chad Berndtson
N.H., Maine Delegates Debate Points of Bush Budget Proposal
WASHINGTON—As members of Congress debated President Bush’s proposed fiscal 2004 budget this week, members of the New Hampshire and Maine delegations were divided about their support for Bush’s tax cuts and budget proposal.
“We are in challenging and difficult times, and we have work in front of us that will require us to make difficult choices and to set the right priorities for our country,” Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.) said on the Senate floor.
He said that slow economic times “were not created by tax cuts, inflation or a slowdown in consumer spending” but by a slowdown in business investment and that Bush’s budget was aimed at solving that problem.
“This budget sets forward a realistic, reasonable and common-sense limit on federal spending,” he said. “It sets forward principles for an economic growth package we all know is needed in America … and reflects common sense when you look at the economic realities, the budget realities and the national security realities we have.”
Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) agreed with Sununu, saying in an interview that Bush’s budget “does the job we need it to do in these tight fiscal times.”
New Hampshire’s Republican House members lauded the funds Bush’s budget would provide in areas like education and stressed the need for “fiscal restraint.”
“While a slow economy and war are certainly reasons to expect short-term deficits, they definitely should not be used as excuses to throw all fiscal restraint out the window,” Rep. Charlie Bass said in a statement. “To control the deficit and return to surplus we must work to cut unnecessary and wasteful spending.”
In an interview, Rep. Jeb Bradley said, “I’m not saying I agree on each and every thought in the budget, and there are definitely things that concern me, but it calls for spending restraint, which I think is necessary.”
Bradley cited in particular his objections to the budget’s treatment of veterans’ benefits.
“I think it’s very important to fulfill our commitment to those who have so ably defended our country before,” he said, “and on the eve of action in Iraq, those who are about to do it again.”
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) believes that Congress should see what happens with the war before making a final decision on a fiscal stimulus package.
“At this point, she would not support a tax cut at all,” Collins’ chief of staff, Steve Abbott, said in an interview. “We have to get through the war and see what impact it has on the economy. No one knows yet whether it could improve the economy-there was a surge in the Dow-Jones Industrial Average after President Bush’s speech-or not.”
Abbott said that Sen. Collins would be interested in a sizeable stimulus package if, after the war, the economy was still in bad shape.
Several members urged significant changes to the proposed budget before it is passed, arguing that Bush’s tax-cutting proposals as they stand will not relieve the economy.
Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) has been working with the bipartisan Senate Centrist Coalition for several weeks in an effort to reduce the size of the Administration’s $728 billion tax-cut package to $350 billion, effectively halving it.
“[Sen. Snowe] believes we do need an immediate and temporary economic stimulus, but she has concerns about the size of the number proposed by the Administration,” Elizabeth Wenk, Snowe’s press secretary, said in an interview.
Snowe was expected to introduce the reduced growth package in the Senate on Thursday, along with coalition members Sens. John Breaux (D-La.), George Voinovich (R-Ohio) and Max Baucus (D-Mont.).
Rep. Tom Allen (D-Maine) questioned the effectiveness of Bush’s budget and his plan to stimulate the economy.
“If the budget passes and the policies reflected in it become law, this will be the greatest transfer of wealth from middle-income America to the wealthiest people in America that I’ve ever seen in my six years in Congress,” he said in an interview. “It’s astonishing, because the tax cuts are structured to provide most of the money to the very wealthy and do little to promote economic growth.”
Allen said that Bush’s budget would dramatically reduce benefits to Medicare, Medicaid and veterans’ health and that the economic model posed by the budget would not stimulate the national economy.
“[The budget] reflects values that I don’t understand,” he said. “This is the seventh budget I’ve seen since I entered the Congress, and it is also the most irrational I’ve ever seen.”
Published in Foster’s Daily Democrat, in New Hampshire.
Maine, N.H. Delegates Discuss Going to War Without U.N. Support
WASHINGTON—Several members of Congress from Maine and New Hampshire said Wednesday that President Bush's decision to go to war against Iraq without a U.N.-backed resolution was the right one, saying that Bush made considerable diplomatic efforts and that not acting against Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein would be an even greater risk. Others voiced frustration and wished Bush had gained more international support before making his decision.
"We have all the authorization we need from the U.N. and all the authorization from the Congress," Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) said in an interview. "It's a matter of our national security and not the U.N.'s security. It's very important that we move forward in that interest; Saddam has not responded to the call to disarm."
Both Gregg and Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.) said that the United States must act now to avoid the consequences of letting Saddam Hussein stay in power. The two Maine Republican Senators agreed, although they expressed frustration that the situation was not resolved diplomatically.
"[Sen. Collins] would be a lot happier if the U.N. was able to work more cooperatively on this. She's disappointed with the way this has turned out and has always been advocating diplomacy," Sen. Susan Collins' chief of staff Steve Abbott said. "If the Security Council had been able to present a united front, [Saddam Hussein] would be more likely to be forced to comply with the resolutions."
Sen. Olympia Snowe's press secretary, Elizabeth Wenk, echoed those sentiments and said Snowe believes that Saddam Hussein was given every opportunity to disarm. She added that Snowe was pleased that the United States is supported by a coalition of 45 nations in its attack on Iraq.
"This late in the negotiations, Saddam could have disarmed and he didn't," Wenk said, speaking for Snowe. "The risk of inaction is far greater than the risk of action."
Rep. Tom Allen (D-Maine) disagreed, saying that President Bush should be acting with official U.N. support and the help of a strong international coalition.
"I hope that my concerns are groundless," he said in an interview. "I hope this will be a quick military action with minimal loss of life and the creation of more stability in Iraq in the aftermath. I hope this works."
Still others commended Bush's diplomatic efforts and said that he made his decision because there was no other alternative.
"I think that Bush went to great ends to try to work with the U.N. and achieve diplomatic resolution," Rep. Jeb Bradley (R-N.H.) said in an interview, citing the "stalemate" in the U.N. during the last few months.
"We would have had a much better chance for a diplomatic solution had the president's hands not been tied behind his back with the U.N.; it's unfortunate. Obviously, like all Americans I will support our troops and hope for a speedy end to this," he said.
"No one wants to go to war," Rep. Charlie Bass (R-N.H.) said in a statement. "I commend President Bush for making every effort to avoid a military conflict."
Published in Foster's Daily Democrat, in New Hampshire.
Maine Receives Drought Relief as Conditions Persist in Region
WASHINGTON—U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman approved disaster assistance for Maine this week to counter the losses that an ongoing drought in the region has caused, according to Maine Republican Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins.
Both New Hampshire and Maine have seen steady and harmful drought conditions for the past several years. According to the Environmental Protection Agency's Web site, the drought has not been this severe in nearly four decades.
"Maine has suffered the effects of a drought that has saddled our state with below-normal precipitation, so this federal assistance is welcome to help farmers weather this difficult period," Snowe and Collins said in a joint statement. "We are very pleased that Secretary Veneman has acted so promptly to approve the state's request."
Jan Pendlebury, New Hampshire director for the National Environmental Trust, said that drought conditions in the region remain a major concern, even though the heavy winter snows and rain have "probably put it out of sight, out of mind for most people."
"[The region has] been under drought conditions for quite some time now, there's been lots of effects," Pendlebury said, adding that conditions in southern New Hampshire and Maine were especially severe.
Drought conditions, she said, have ruined harvests and caused significant losses for farmers in the region.
Maine will receive disaster relief under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Act of 2002, which designates all of Maine's 16 counties as primary natural disaster zones. With that designation, farmers can now be considered for low-interest emergency loans from the Agriculture Department's Farm Service Agency.
"We just haven't had the precipitation we need," Pendlebury said, noting that in recent years New Hampshire and Maine have fallen below the average yearly rainfall of 42 inches.
She cited increased global warming as a contributor to the droughts. Because of intense heat and increased winds, evaporation occurs at a faster rate and the hydrological system-groundwater, top soil, tree roots-is limited.
"You can replace a lot of things, but you can't replace water," she said. "Last summer, one of the hottest summers on record, was a bit of a wakeup call."
Published in Foster's Daily Democrat, in New Hampshire.
Sununu Addresses Struggling Economy in New England Council Forum
WASHINGTON—Sen. John Sununu (R-NH) said today that a slowdown in business investment is driving the current economic downturn and that a successful recovery would involve creating new incentives for small businesses to invest, eliminating taxation of dividends and reforming corporate behavior.
He spoke at a forum hosted by the New England Council, an alliance of businesses, academic and health institutions, and organizations both public and private, committed to promoting economic growth in the region.
Sununu discussed New England's role in the national economy during difficult economic times and said that the national economic downturn was a result not of decreasing consumer spending, inflation or high interest rates, but instead of a lack of investment on the part of businesses.
"If you want to pretend otherwise, then you're going to end up making bad policy decisions," he said.
He voiced his support for President Bush's economic stimulus package, lauding its promotion of investing for businesses of all sizes. Small businesses, he said, are especially important to New Hampshire because they account for 80 percent of its total jobs.
Sununu also reiterated the arguments he had made at a press conference on Capitol Hill Wednesday, again calling for an end to double taxation on dividends. Double taxation refers to the process whereby corporate income is taxed, and then shareholders are taxed on any dividends the company pays out.
"This isn't about rich and poor, it's not about old and young, it is about fairness and the simple question, whether or not it is ever right for the government to tax someone's income twice," Sununu said at Wednesday's conference.
He told Council members at the forum that several major corporations are holding onto billions of dollars in cash because it is bad for business to give it to shareholders as dividends; if taxation of dividends were eliminated, he said, those companies would start to pay dividends.
"That means the value of the stock market is going to go up, period," he said at the forum. "That's not hypothesis or conjecture or hope, that's a fact."
He also encouraged better corporate behavior in general, saying that there is now a "big incentive to put debt on the books," and that eliminating double taxation would be a step toward reform. He reminded the council that New England's regional economy was driven by the tech industry.
"We need to look honestly at where the problems lie and fix them," he said.
Among the council members was Richard Ashooh, vice president of legislative affairs for BAE Systems North America, which has been a member of the council for two decades and whose information and electronics systems integration sector headquarters is in Nashua. He recognized the need for immediate action to help the economy, despite conflicting opinions and the possibility of war in the Middle East.
"It's often said that you should fix your roof when the sun is shining," he said, "but I don't think we can wait any more at this point."
Published in Foster's Daily Democrat, in New Hampshire.
Snowe Receives Prestigious Award From National Hispanic Organization
WASHINGTON—Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) received the prestigious Capital Award from the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), a prominent Hispanic civil rights organization.
NCLR said it recognized Snowe for her demonstrated commitment to improving the well-being of America's children, presenting her with its highest honor at an awards dinner Tuesday night.
"I couldn't be more grateful to accept this [award]," Snowe said at the ceremony. "[This] is an organization committed to enhancing the vibrancy and diversity of our society and an organization working tirelessly to secure the American Dream for our Latino men, women and children."
Snowe was cited for a number of legislative achievements, including her successful effort to make the child tax credit refundable.
"It would have been unconscionable to leave 7.4 million working families with 15.4 million children with no benefit," Snowe said in a statement. "Instead, the tax credit is now reaching an additional 4.2 million Latino children and that is exactly as it should be."
"By securing passage of a refundable child tax credit, Senator Snowe helped millions of Latino families benefit from last year's tax cuts," NCLR President Raul Yzaguirre said in a statement that lauded Snowe's achievements. "That she would insist on such a provision despite considerable opposition is just one indication of her years of commitment to America's families, especially its children."
NCLR also cited Snowe's move to restore significant funding for the Pell Grant student assistance program, her continuing efforts to increase child care benefits in the welfare program, and her work to strengthen small businesses during a difficult economic time.
"It all comes back to opportunity," Snowe said at the dinner, speaking about the role Hispanics are playing in moving the United States forward in the new millennium. "And yet, we must always remember that it is not only about strengthening our minority communities. It is also about the myriad ways in which our minority communities have strengthened America and will continue to do so."
NCLR is a private, nonprofit group established in 1968. Serving 7.5 million Hispanic families worldwide, it works to reduce poverty and discrimination, and improve life and business opportunities for Hispanic Americans.
Published in Foster's Daily Democrat, in New Hampshire.
Members of Congress Push for Stronger Legislation in Using DNA to Catch Rapists
WASHINGTON—Lawmakers introduced legislation Tuesday in the House designed to prosecute rapists more effectively by improving the use of DNA evidence collection.
The Debbie Smith Act, authored by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), would provide over $600 million to eliminate the substantial backlog of DNA evidence collected in sexual assault cases but not tested or entered into the national database. Its companion bill, the DNA Sexual Assault Justice Act of 2003, authored by Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.), was introduced in January. Speaking at a meeting, lawmakers stressed that it is a lack of resources, not technology or ability, that has caused the backlog.
The money would be spent over the next five years to upgrade DNA analysis, train law enforcement officials and first responders in handling forensic evidence and treating sexual assault victims, and update the national DNA database.
"Despite past successes and the future potential of DNA, hundreds of thousands of rape kits sit in storage because law enforcement officials lack the funds or resources to test them," Biden said in a statement. The rape kits, which contain collected DNA evidence, are stored away, Biden said, while victims of sexual assault wait for justice, sometimes long past the statute of limitations, which for most states is seven years.
"Each of these kits represents a woman who was viciously attacked, and who may live in fear because her attacker might still be free," he continued. "We have the technology and the power to change all of that. We have an opportunity and an obligation to do a much better job of using DNA evidence to bring criminals to justice."
Biden said that DNA testing yields 99.9 percent accuracy, and that with the latest technology, only a drop of blood the size of a pinhead is needed for testing. "But it is useless," he cautioned, "if there is no money to test the evidence [that is collected]."
According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice, a sexual assault occurs in the United States approximately every 82 seconds. The Federal Bureau of Investigation's most recent statistics show 458 reported forcible rapes in New Hampshire for 2001, according to the FBI website.
Maloney first introduced the legislation last year, after rape survivor Debbie Smith of Williamsburg, Va., testified at a Government Reform Committee hearing on DNA evidence. Smith's attacker was identified through such evidence.
"DNA is fresher than a fingerprint," Maloney said in a statement, reiterating the method's importance. "It does not forget and it can't be intimidated."
The legislation also has received considerable media support from the cable network Lifetime Television. According to executive vice president Meredith Wagner, nearly 80,000 people have signed Lifetime's on-line petition drive in support of the bills.
The legislative push coincides this week with End Violence Against Women Week.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) is a co-sponsor of the legislation.
"This is a win-win issue," Sen. Hilary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), another of the bill's co-sponsors, said at the hearing. "Once people understand what's at stake, there is simply no more argument."
Published in Foster's Daily Democrat, in New Hampshire.
Officials Addressing Concerns as Coast Guard Transitions to Homeland Security
WASHINGTON—Amid persistent worries that the U.S. Coast Guard's new Homeland Security responsibilities will spread its resources too thin, officials say that steps have been taken to make the transition as smooth as possible and that the Coast Guard will still be able to effectively perform its traditional duties.
The Coast Guard is among 22 federal agencies and programs combining under the Homeland Security Act of 2002, designed to quell the threat of terrorism against the United States. The Coast Guard officially became part of the new Department of Homeland Security this week.
Speaking earlier this week as he took over leadership of the Coast Guard from U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge reiterated the basic ideas behind the creation of the department,and the Coast Guard's significant role in protecting coastal and maritime interests from the threat of terrorism.
But there are continuing concerns about how the transition will affect the Coast Guard's regulation of fisheries and other coastal businesses, which are of vital importance to both New Hampshire and Maine.
"With the added responsibility under Homeland Security, it really causes a lot of concern for the fisheries and fishing boats on the coast," Jan Pendlebury, New Hampshire director of the National Environmental Trust, said in an interview. "These new responsibilities are major ones, and whether or not they are up to the challenge, it puts a lot of stress on them. They're going to have to prioritize, and unfortunately I think that fisheries are going to be put at the bottom of the list."
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) spearheaded a 10-7 vote in the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee last year to add provisions that would ensure that there would be no reductions in funding or personnel for the Coast Guard's traditional duties.
"It's very important to be vigilant in ensuring that the Coast Guard maintain its essential mission," Collins said in a statement last year. She pointed out that before Sept. 11, 2001, port security accounted for only 2 percent of the Coast Guard's resources and that immediately following the terrorist attacks, the Coast Guard deployed 59 percent of its resources to increase port safety and mount security missions. She said that she would continue a push to maintain the "vital mission of the Coast Guard."
"This is definitely something that she will keep a close eye on," Collins' press secretary, Megan Sowards, said in an interview.
Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), who chairs the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee's Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere and Fisheries, said lawmakers are doing everything they can to ensure that the effectiveness of the Coast Guard's traditional duties is preserved.
"With substantial new funding, both this year and next, the Coast Guard should have the resources it needs to ramp up its personnel and equipment and remain focused on its traditional missions even while it serves its new function," said Dave Lackey, Snowe's director of communications, in an interview.
Many state agencies across the nation also are lending an important hand as the Coast Guard makes its transition, including Maine's Marine Resources Department, a law enforcement branch that focuses strictly on saltwater marine activity. Maine is one of the few states that has this type of specified department, given the immense importance of maritime business and recreation to the state and region.
"The Coast Guard has always been our closest partner; we participate with them on a daily basis," said Major John Fetterman of the Marine Resources Department. "We learned some lessons after [Sept. 11], and we got thrust into a role that was unfamiliar to us, performing a broad range of maritime security missions. But we work with the Coast Guard, and our role is to backfill for them. We assist in all of their duties as more of their resources get redirected to national security. It's a close, extremely tight relationship and I think you'll find it's much the same with the Coast Guard and other organizations across the United States."
Published in Foster's Daily Democrat, in New Hampshire.
Environmental Groups Seek Ban on Kids Toys Containing Toxic Chemical
WASHINGTON—A group of national environmental organizations will continue to push a petition to ban the use of toxic chemicals in children's toys, despite a unanimous vote this week by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) denying the request.
The National Environmental Trust joined forces with 11 other public health and environmental groups in 1998 to ask for a federal ban on soft toys made from a type of plastic (polyvinylchloride) containing the chemical di-isononyl phthalate (DINP). While DINP makes toys more pliable, exposure to the chemical can cause liver and kidney damage. The inherent danger, the groups say, is that children swallow DINP whenever they put the toy in their mouth.
"You don't have to be a parent to know that children have items in their mouth all the time," Jan Pendlebury, New Hampshire director of the National Environmental Trust, said in an interview. "It's very naïve [on the part of the CPSC] to think that children don't come across toys all day long and sometimes all night long, and realize that there's all these different items they are absorbing."
Following media attention, the CPSC in 1998 initiated a withdrawal of DINP in mouthing toys while they conducted a health risk study on the use of the chemical.
At a CPSC hearing in November, staff members agreed that a mandatory ban on DINP use in toys was not necessary. The current data, a spokesman said in an interview, show that children do not spend enough time mouthing the DINP toys to make the toys a health risk requiring federal regulation.
"The Commission and its staff gave careful attention to the allegations of the petition, as they properly should when claims of detrimental health effects to children are made," said CPSC member Mary Sheila Gall in a statement following the vote on Tuesday. She said that the CPSC examined all the data and addressed all the concerns and that "consumers may have a high level of assurance that soft plastic products pose no risk to children."
But the environmental organizations say that the key issue is whether a risk exists at all, and that new research demonstrates that it does.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a research report in January that attempted to measure exposure to toxic chemicals used in manufacturing commercial products. Among the findings was that phthalates were found in higher levels in children then in adults, which Pendlebury called a significant finding.
The European Union renewed its ban on the use of phthalates in toy manufacturing last week. In addition, several major toy manufacturers in the United States voluntarily stopped using phthalates in mouthing toys in 1999.
Pendlebury emphasized the basic need to keep children from anything harmful, especially since toys can be successfully manufactured without DINP.
"Of course toys shouldn't contain harmful chemicals; that should not even be a point of discussion," she said in a statement. "It is irresponsible and unnecessary to subject children to this risk."
Published in Foster's Daily Democrat, in New Hampshire.
Thousands Expected to Participate in “Virtual March” Wednesday
WASHINGTON—Thousands of people opposed to war with Iraq are expected to participate Wednesday in a "virtual march" on Washington, in which they will flood the White House switchboard and the offices of their U.S. senators with phone calls, e-mails and fax messages voicing their concerns about a war. Area senators say they welcome the calls.
The "march" was organized by Win Without War, a coalition of national peace organizations that came together shortly after the Jan. 18 peace rally in Washington. As of Tuesday, 120,000 people were registered across the nation to participate in the protest, which is scheduled to take place from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Wednesday.
More than 30 organizations are part of the coalition, including the National Organization for Women, the National Council of Churches, Peace Action and the Sierra Club.
Former Maine Democratic congressman Tom Andrews, who served in the House from 1991-95, is the national director of Win Without War. He said in a statement that this kind of protest would allow more people to more effectively voice their opposition to a military strike in Iraq.
"I think the citizens in this country are well ahead of the politicians on this issue," Andrews said. "If there was ever an issue for Washington to really listen to [the people] of America, it's this one."
If something like the virtual protest had happened during his term in public service, Andrews said, he "would most certainly have paid attention." He added that the demographics of people who oppose the war are many and varied, that they come from across the nation.
Among other promotions, Win Without War released a TV ad last week featuring actor Martin Sheen. The "West Wing" actor is a member of Artists United to Win Without War, a partner organization that includes actors, musicians and other members of the entertainment industry.
"We are the celebrity arm of Win Without War," said Kate McArdle, the executive director of Artists United. "We're trying to send the message: please don't have a preemptive strike against Iraq, let inspectors do their jobs."
Both New Hampshire Senate members said in statements that their offices were ready for the calls, and are always receptive to any kind of contact from their constituents.
"On this issue and others, Senator Sununu strongly encourages New Hampshire residents to let him know their questions, concerns, and comments," said Barbara Riley, communications director for Sen. John Sununu (R-NH). "This input is forwarded directly to him."
"I always encourage New Hampshire residents to contact my office with their opinion on issues that concern them," Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) said in a statement. "Tomorrow is no exception. My office is prepared for the possibility of a high volume of calls, emails and faxes, and I value the opinion of every Granite Stater who expresses their point of view regarding the possibility of armed conflict in Iraq and all other issues."
Megan Sowards, a spokeswoman for Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), said that Collins' office would be ready to take the constituents' calls.
"The senator is always willing to listen to what her constituents have to say," Sowards said. "But in the end she makes the decision that she feels is best for Maine and best for the country."
Published in Foster's Daily Democrat, in New Hampshire.
FRAC Report Identifies Strengths and Weaknesses in National Nutrition Programs
WASHINGTON—An annual report from the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) released Thursday finds that while eight key federal nutrition programs are producing positive results, there are still many gaps and weak spots in the federal government's plans to feed the hungry in New Hampshire and Maine and across America, especially with the current state of the economy.
"The resources are there to improve this situation dramatically, but the federal government and the states have to do a far better job of making anti-hunger programs available," said FRAC president Jim Weill in a statement. "Our political leaders have to see what is happening in every community and respond."
The "gaps" that the report describes extend to every state, including New Hampshire, which according to the report was one of the worst-performing states when it comes to food stamps. It also was ranked 37th in the nation in performance for the school breakfast program, and 38th for the summer nutrition program, two programs vital to feeding hungry children. Maine ranked 27th and 36th in those programs, respectively.
The rankings were based on the percentage of people eligible to receive program benefits who actually received them.
FRAC compiled the report by analyzing federal data, including statistics from the Department of Agriculture and the Census Bureau. According to the agencies' 2002 research, more than 33 million people in the United States are hungry or live on the edge of hunger. As of 2001, 6.5 percent of households in New Hampshire were living on the edge of hunger and 1.9 percent were hungry. The percentages in Maine were 9.4 and 3.1, respectively.
Federal nutrition programs such as the food stamp program and the national school lunch program are suffering when they are needed most, Weill said, adding that the federal government has all the means available to improve the situation. President Bush's proposed fiscal 2004 budget includes no additional funding for these programs, and "therein lies the problem," Weill said.
The report proposes two concurrent strategies for improving the situation: a greater commitment by the federal government, beginning with additional funding, and a redoubling of efforts by state and local governments to use those funds in the most effective ways.
Terry Smith, food stamp program manager for the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, said that more work is being done to increase the visibility of programs like these. As of 2000, the most recent figures available, only about half of the people in New Hampshire eligible for food stamps were actually participating, but the number was steadily improving, he said.
"We are working on [the problem]; we're working hard," Smith said in an interview.
Congress reviews the federal nutrition programs every four to five years. The food stamp program was reauthorized last year, and all federal child nutrition programs will be reviewed this year as lawmakers begin work on the fiscal 2004 budget.
A letter detailing the importance of the child nutrition programs was sent to all members of the Senate and House Budget Committees and some other lawmakers in November from a group of organizations, including FRAC, the American Federation of Teachers, the YMCA of USA and the Children's Defense Fund.
"Numerous studies show hunger's detrimental effect on a child's ability to learn and thrive in school," said the letter, co-authored by several officials of the participating organizations. "Through a targeted expansion of universal programs, we can ensure that many more children [have] the nutrition they need to succeed."
FRAC is a national organization working to combat national hunger and lack of nutrition. The group will present its report, State of the States: A Profile of Food and Nutrition Programs Across the Nation, to national lawmakers at the annual National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference here this weekend. They also have made the report available to state officials in time for this weekend's winter meeting of the National Governors Association.
"Many private citizens are taking heroic measures to stem a rising tide of hunger in communities across America," Weill said. "But they are saying to the president and to the nation's governors that they have done as much as one person or one hundred thousand persons can do; the government must do its share."
Published in Foster's Daily Democrat, in New Hampshire.
