Still Fighting to Feed Schoolchildren Globally

The May 6 op-ed "A Slap at Schoolchildren" left the impression that the new farm bill has foreclosed needed funding for the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program. This is not the case.

This farm bill represents the biggest legislative investment in anti-hunger initiatives since the early 1990s. Even so, available funding fell well short of the need. We had to make hard choices and focused available funds on hellping U.S. children and families who face tremendous hardships because of the recession and rising food prices. These are programs typically funded by farm bills.

Foreign food assistance, on the other hand, has long been funded primarily through appropriations bills. I wholeheartedly agree that the McGovern-Dole program and other foreign food assistance programs need a major, immediate boost in funding in the pending supplemental appropriations bill and in annual appropriations bills. Over the past five years, McGovern-Dole funding has increased each year, largely because of the efforts of Sens. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) and Herb Kohl (D-Wis.). I will continue to work with them to provide strong funding through the Appropriations Committee.

TOM HARKIN

U.S. Senator (D-Iowa)

Washington

The writer is chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry and the Senate-House farm bill conference committee.