aging them to apply for the program, but we are not confident that there will be any money available. They have to do their planning well in advance and as of 3 p.m. yesterday, we only had 13,000 children identified in programs that were willing to extend themselves to apply. I suspect there are probably closer to 20,000 in organized programs around the city.

Senator CRANSTON. The main problem is that you haven't been able to know what you can depend on from the Department?

Mr. COHEN. We have been told we shouldn't depend on anything. Senator CRANSTON. Mr. Nugent, you stated that even if money was made available for all the children, you wouldn't be able to handle them at this point. What are the main problems in handling the program and providing funds?

Mr. NUGENT. We have 125,000 youngsters. We figure we can handle 81,000-given adequate time. The elements of this are: First of all you have to have the food distributed through program activities—the city and paying agencies, United Community, Community Fund agencies, city agencies, and so on are able to handle a certain percentage of that. The balance must be made up by organizing volunteers to conduct programs for young people and to therefore, feed the young people. The best we are able to organize now, given a full-out effort, would be about 81,000.

In subsequent years we might be able to expand to the full 125,000. Senator CRANSTON. Have you used VISTA, Urban Corps, or NYC workers?

Mr. NUGENT. We have not used them. I have not looked into that particular resource.

Senator CRANSTON. Would it be possible?

Mr. NUGENT. It is a possibility we will look into.

Senator CRANSTON. They are planning to expand this so it will be involving more and more people, part of them on volunteer basis and partly paid under testimony as I heard. That may be a way. Possibly have them financed in some way.

Mr. NUGENT. I would suggest we could use those people as well as Neighborhood Youth Corps children for the operation of the program on a yearly basis-particularly because the VISTA volunteers would not be available for just the 3 months in the summer. We would have to have activities on a yearly basis. But then we start coming into a problem of the 80-20 match; VISTA volunteers' time would not be considered permissible, since it is Federal money for a local-Federal match. We would be happy to use them.

Senator CRANSTON. Do you have the same sort of problem or different problems from what he expressed?

Mr. ROBLES. Basically the same.

Senator CRANSTON. Mr. Nugent, you mentioned one thing in your prepared testimony, the apportionment formula. We have been looking at that and are very concerned about it making no allowance for family sizes. I agree with you that bears close scrutiny and examination.

Mr. NUGENT. The concern we have, in particular with the apportionment formula, is that for any amount of money that you provide-if you provide $52.5 million, which the cities feel is their need-the way

that money is apportioned among the cities will not necessarily reflect what individual cities have said is their need. It will be distributed by factors other than need. We simply feel that some correction must be made in that regard.

Senator CRANSTON. You have all been very, very helpful. I appreciate each of you coming, your patience. I hope you learned something earlier about the problems we all face.

Mr. NUGENT. We are very much concerned and wish to continue with this problem until all the bugs are worked out, Senator. Senator CRANSTON. Thank you for your cooperation.

Thank each of you very much.

The committee is in recess, subject to call of the Chair.

(Whereupon, at 1:10 p.m., the Select Committee was recessed, to reconvene at the call of the Chair.)

OFFICE OF SENATOR GEORGE MCGOVERN

TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 1972.

HEARINGS RESUME ON UNUSED FOOD ASSISTANCE FUNDS

Senator George McGovern (D-SD) today announced the resumption of hearings into the withholding of funds available for the food assistance programs. Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass) will act as chairman on Wednesday and Senator Alan Cranston (D-Calif) will chair the hearing on Thursday.

The first of the hearings, conducted on June 7, 1972, revealed that nearly $400 million of the funds appropriated for the Food Stamp Program would be returned to the Treasury this year. Wednesday's hearing will explore the fact that of $184 million available for feeding programs in Day Care, $49 million in regularly appropriated funds and an additional $135 million made available out of Section 32 funds, only approximately $34 million has been spent. Despite this surplus, a "freeze" has been imposed throughout this fiscal year, seriously limiting the ability of local areas to respond to rapidly growing food service needs in Day Care and Head Start.

Wednesday's hearing will include as witnesses: Elizabeth Vernon, Assistant Commissioner; and Liz Robbins, Assistant to the Commissioner, New York City Agency for Child Development. A panel from Massachusetts: Sheila Malloy, Health and Nutrition Coordinator for Springfield; Lois Bright, chairman, Springfield Head Start Policy Council; and Susan Gustafson, director, Newton-Waltham Head Start Program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary Richard Lyng accompanied by James Kocher, Director, Food Stamp Program, and Herbert Rorex, Chief, Child Nutrition Division will respond as witnesses at the final hearing held on Thursday, June 22, 1972.

1 See hearing of April 7 this volume and Part 3B hearing of June 7, 1972.

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PRE-SCHOOL FEEDING

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 1972

U.S. SENATE,

SELECT COMMITTEE ON
NUTRITION AND HUMAN NEEDS,

Washington, D.C.

The Select Committee met at 10:07 a.m., pursuant to call, in room 1202 of the New Senate Office Building, the Honorable Edward M. Kennedy, presiding.

Present: Senators Kennedy and Javits.

Staff members present: Nancy Amidei, professional staff member; Vernon M. Goetcheus, senior minority professional staff member; and Elizabeth P. Hottell, minority professional staff.

Senator KENNEDY. The committee will come to order.

OPENING STATEMENT BY SENATOR KENNEDY, PRESIDING

Senator KENNEDY. I was pleased to accept the request from the chairman of the Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs to open this morning's hearing. During the past 3 years, under the direction and expert leadership of Senator George McGovern, this committee has alerted the American public to the critical demand for Federal food assistance programs.

As a result, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has begun to recognize as constituents, not only those who produce foodstuffs, but those who are hungry.

In 1968, when this committee was formed, less than 4 million needy Americans were enrolled in the Food Stamp Program. Today, the USDA boasts that over 11 million people receive food stamps. That boast, however, is a direct result of concerted efforts by this committee's chairman, who has directed his able staff to diligently attend to the matter of insuring that available Federal resources will serve the needs of our Nation's hungry.

Food stamp enrollment has tripled since 1968 because this committee found it inexcusable that Americans go hungry while food surpluses multiply. One-fifth of the people on the food stamp rolls are there because this committee restored their eligibility.

In reaction to this committee's concern, the USDA retracted proposed regulations that would have eliminated 2 million children from the School Lunch Program.

And so it is, that this morning the Select Committee is convened once again to produce the concern, the interest, and the force required

to insure that the USDA-the guardian of the Federal pantry-will use all the resources in its larder to feed the Nation's poor.

When Richard Lyng testified before this committee 2 weeks ago. that the Department of Agriculture plans to return $389 million from the Food Stamp Program, members of this committee were immediately aroused by the possibility that this admission may be just the tip of the iceberg. And, indeed it was.

"Half a Loaf-Food Assistance in Fiscal Year 1972," the Committee Print* published a few days ago by the Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs, reveals that the Food Stamp Program is but one of six Federal food assistance projects from which the USDA intends to refund appropriated dollars. The full list includes:

ACTION PREVENTS FOOD DELIVERY TO NEEDY

It would be comforting for the beleagured taxpayer to learn that the Federal bureaucracy can be thrifty and dollar conscious; that there is interest in spending tax dollars prudently. But no reasonable person would support any action by our Government which prevents the delivery of food to needy Americans. Yet, that is precisely the effect of the Department's plan to return nearly $700 million in food assistance funds to the U.S. Treasury.

That is the glaring deficiency with the entire food assistance program. How can the Department justify returning 19 percent of appropriated food money, as not needed, when 43 percent of American's 26 million poor receive no Federal food assistance?

Mrs. Elizabeth Vernon, one of our witnesses this morning, wonders how the Pentagon can produce $52 million in unauthorized funds for the Cambodian Army.

I am alarmed and amazed that there is a need for this committee to probe the reason why the Department fails to commit congressionally appropriated dollars for such a needy demand as feeding hungry people. I must admit, however, that this is a change from the usually disturbing fiscal issues the Congress faces.

We have grown accustomed to overspending on the space program: unforeseen delays on construction of Government buildings, and cost overruns on the development of supersonic aircraft. It is equally dismaying, however, to be faced with the administration's inability or unwillingness to properly cover the cost of Federal food assistance. Today's witnesses are appearing to relate their experience with Special Food Service Programs for children. Among the programs for

*See Appendix 2, p. 616.