Members of Congress are calling on the President Obama to hold a conference on food and nutrition policy.  On Monday, May 18th, the Subcommittee on Rules and Organization of the House heard testimony from several different anti-hunger organizations on H.R. 2297.  If passed, the legislation would authorize the president to call a White House Conference on Food and Nutrition by December 31, 2009.  The conference would be co-chaired by the Secretaries of Agriculture, Treasury, and Health and Human Services.  The last time a conference on food and nutrition policy was held was in 1969, when President Richard Nixon brought the anti-hunger community together to discuss improvements for the federal food assistance programs.

Testifying at the hearing were:

• Representative Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.)
• Robert Egger, President, DC Central Kitchen
• Rev. David Beckmann, President, Bread for the World
• Nicole Robinson, Director of Corporate Community Involvement for Kraft Foods Global

To view a copy of the legislation, opening statements, and witness testimony, please see the links below.

 H.R. 2297 - White House Conference on Food and Nutrition 

 Rep. Jim McGovern Opening Statement 

 Rep. Jo Ann Emerson Testimony 

 Robert Egger Testimony 

 Rev. David Beckmann Testimony 

 Nicole Robinson Testimony