(MEATPOULTRY.com, May 02, 2008)
by MEAT&POULTRY Staff
WASHINGTON — Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi pledged rapid congressional response to a May 1 request by President Bush for $770 million for additional food aid and development programs. "This is not only a humanitarian issue," Ms. Pelosi said later on May 1. "It is a matter of national security as well. From Bangladesh to Haiti, the food crisis is contributing to international instability by adversely affecting tens of millions of people, including the poorest people in the world." Henrietta H. Fore, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, said the agency stands prepared for the stepped-up efforts. She said the additional funding will "help meet immediate needs in countries already experiencing food shortages and will also target new food insecure populations."