Letters, 12/14: Hagel's record laudable

By by William M. Wehrbein on December 14, 2008
© Lincoln Journal Star

A week ago Friday, Sen. Chuck Hagel thanked Nebraskans for his 12 years in the U.S. Senate. Today I thank Sen. Hagel for his record of support for the world's poor and hungry.

In 2000, the United States joined 188 other countries in committing to the Millennium Development Goals to improve life for the world's poorest people. The first goal is to cut in half the number living on less than $1 a day. Chuck Hagel, Barack Obama and another Democratic senator introduced the Global Poverty Act to make this goal official U.S. policy. In addition, Sen. Hagel has on numerous occasions fought attempts to cut programs designed to attack the root causes of world hunger and poverty.

Sen. Hagel has addressed the problem of hunger in our own country as well. He was an early cosponsor of the Hunger Free Communities Act, which committed our nation to cutting food insecurity in the United States and assisted local groups providing food, action and outreach. In addition, Hagel opposed funding cuts in the Food Stamp Program, our first line of defense against domestic hunger.

More recently, Sen. Hagel sought reforms in the farm bill to restructure the commodity payment program, which primarily benefits the largest growers and undercuts farmers in the developing world. Hagel supported a generous cap on commodity payments of $250,000.

While a majority of senators, as well as Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns, also supported this amendment, it never became part of the completed farm bill, and Hagel courageously voted against final passage.

During the past 12 years, there has been some real success reducing world hunger, but the current worldwide economic crisis threatens to reverse those gains both here and abroad.

I urge incoming Sen. Johanns to join Sen. Ben Nelson in continuing the laudable efforts of Sen. Chuck Hagel.

William M. Wehrbein
Lincoln