Senate Proceeding on Apr 13th, 2011 :: 8:24:15 to 8:31:00
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8:24:12 to 8:24:32( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: would have been savaged. there would have been a huge savaging of the feeding programs around the world by usaid, an arm of the state department which saves untold thousands if

8:24:15 to 8:31:00( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Bill Nelson

8:24:33 to 8:24:53( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: not millions of lives, particularly of children. they have a program right now in africa, for example, of just providing mosquito netting that cuts malaria by 30%.

8:24:54 to 8:25:17( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: but also usaid uses a lot of american agriculture to help feed hungry starvation populations, and those programs would have been cut significantly had h.r. 1, the house of representatives appropriations bill, been the

8:25:18 to 8:25:38( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: final decision. fortunately, it wasn't and fortunately for the hunger programs both abroad and at home , the least among us will not have to suffer those cutbacks to the budget for the duration of this fiscal year,

8:25:39 to 8:26:03( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: for the next six months. but even so, there were some significant cuts in what has been agreed to in the funding for hunger programs here in america.

8:26:04 to 8:26:24( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: there was a $500 million cut of women, infant and children's program, otherwise known as w.i.c., the federal health and nutrition programs for women, infants and children. and we will just have to deal with this as we are now putting

8:26:25 to 8:26:45( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: together the mathematics in building the next budget for the year 2012. mr. president, i decided to come over here and talk because i want to talk about one of my

8:26:46 to 8:27:06( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: closest personal friends, former congressman and former ambassador tony hall of ohio who started a fast 16 days ago. that fast he is going to continue only having water, and he is going all the way through

8:27:07 to 8:27:32( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: easter, which is another week and a half away. so the duration of that fast will be somewhere around a month, and you can imagine what happens to your body when you don't take in any nourishment

8:27:34 to 8:27:55( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: other than water for 30 days. that's what tony hall is doing. it's very interesting that people are joining him. some 35,000 people nationwide have joined tony in a fast. it may not be a complete fast

8:27:56 to 8:28:18( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: like he is doing with only water, and it may be just that they are doing a fast one day a week. it's interesting that 30 members of the house of representatives have joined their former colleague, congressman tony hall, in this fast, and that

8:28:19 to 8:28:41( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: includes just announced 14 women u.s. lawmakers plan to add to protest the deep cuts in the program that help the poor, that battle hunger in the u.s. and overseas. and, mr. president, i would just

8:28:42 to 8:29:03( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: say that in conclusion, you can tell about a great nation about how it takes care of the least of those among us. it is certainly a part of our judeo-christian heritage throughout the hebron row scriptures and the new testament that over and over the most

8:29:04 to 8:29:24( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: referenced part of the scriptures is the obligation of a society to take care of the least privileged among us. back in the old days, some 2,000 years ago and even before, they had a social security system in

8:29:25 to 8:29:49( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: that agricultural economy of the time called gleaning. for those who owned the wheat fields would go in and reap the wheat, but it was the standard practice of the day that they would leave enough wheat on the stalks so that the poor could

8:29:50 to 8:30:11( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: come in and glean the fields in order that they would have sustenance. that was their social security system of the day. our systems of aiding the poor are much more sophisticated and include the program and here at home a lot through

8:30:12 to 8:30:32( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: the department of agriculture. but as we have to cut the budget, we must constantly remind ourselves, as ambassador tony hall is reminding us right now with his fast for a month, that it is an obligation of all

8:30:33 to 8:30:53( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: of us to take care of the least among us. i will close by quoting that passage from matthew 25. "when did you it for the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you were doing it for me." mr. president, i yield the

8:30:54 to 8:31:01( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: floor. mr. reid: m the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. reid: before my friend leaves the floor, i had the good