The charity Mercy Corps is urging support for a bill in Congress titled the Roadmap to End Global Hunger and Promote Food Security Act of 2009. Also known as H.R. 2817, the Roadmap bill is in need of public support in order to get Congress to take action.
On its web site Mercy Corps has set up a take action page to encourage people to write to their representative in Congress.
This legislation would create a White House office on global hunger which would coordinate U.S. strategy among agencies such as the Department of Agriculture, Food for Peace, and others.
With over a billion people suffering from hunger, Mercy Corps, Catholic Relief Services, World Vision, Save the Children, Friends of the World Food Program, the Alliance for Global Food Security, and other charities made recommendations which formed the basis of the Roadmap legislation. Representatives Jim McGovern and Jo Ann Emerson introduced the legislation into Congress this summer, with Rep. McGovern explaining that "We are trying to put global hunger on the top of the administration's agenda."
For more information about the Roadmap to End Global Hunger please see an interview I conducted with Ambassador Michael Klosson of Save the Children, where Ambassador Klosson pointed out that "The United States is the world's wealthiest and most influential nation. If we don't lead the way in ending global hunger, who will?"
The following members of Congress have co-sponsored the legislation along with McGovern.
- Rep. Sanford Bishop [D, GA-2]
- Rep. Jo Ann Emerson [R, MO-8]
- Rep. Sam Farr [D, CA-17]
- Rep. Bob Filner [D, CA-51]
- Rep. Jesse Jackson [D, IL-2]
- Rep. Eddie Johnson [D, TX-30]
- Rep. Dale Kildee [D, MI-5]
- Rep. Edward Markey [D, MA-7]
- Rep. Betty McCollum [D, MN-4]
- Rep. Dennis Moore [D, KS-3]
- Rep. James Moran [D, VA-8]
- Rep. Eleanor Norton [D, DC-0]
- Rep. Janice Schakowsky [D, IL-9]
- Rep. Albio Sires [D, NJ-13]
- Rep. Maxine Waters [D, CA-35]
- Rep. Lynn Woolsey [D, CA-6]
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