Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Rules Committee Chairman James P. McGovern (D-MA) and Congressman Tracey Mann (R-KS) introduced a resolution expressing the commitment of the House of Representatives to building on the twenty years of success of the George McGovern-Robert Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program.

Full Text of Resolution Here (PDF)

The McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program helps support education, child development and food security in low-income, food-deficit countries around the globe. The program provides for the donation of U.S. agricultural commodities, as well as financial and technical assistance, to support school feeding and maternal and child nutrition projects. Since its inception, the program has provided over 5.5 billion school meals benefitting over 31 million school-age children and their communities.

"Over 20 years ago, I led a bipartisan coalition to establish the George McGovern-Robert Dole International Food for Education Program—first as a pilot project in 2000 and then as a permanent program in the 2002 farm bill,” said Chairman McGovern. “This program has always enjoyed strong bipartisan support and is a proven success. By providing at least one nutritious meal to some of the world's most vulnerable children in a school setting, McGovern-Dole has reduced the incidence of hunger among school-age children, increased school enrollments and attendance, expanded the support of families and communities for education, especially for girls, and built goodwill towards the people of the United States in countries around the world. I am proud to introduce this important bipartisan resolution so we can continue building upon and expanding the program’s twenty years of success.”

“It is a special privilege to join Representative McGovern in honoring this lifechanging program that was established in part by one of Kansas’ favorite sons, Senator Robert J. Dole,” said Rep. Mann. “Over the past two decades, the McGovern-Dole Program has improved the food security, nutrition, literacy, and primary education of 31 million school-age children and their families. This resolution honoring the program’s 20^th anniversary expresses Congress’ commitment to carrying on its success and supporting the American farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers who provide the commodities required for it to function. Senator Dole epitomized the best of Kansas and lived out the true meaning of serving one’s neighbors. His legacy will live on through the great work of the McGovern-Dole Program.”

The McGovern-Dole Program is named in honor of former U.S. Senator and Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture George McGovern and former U.S. Senator Robert Dole in recognition of their tireless efforts to eradicate childhood hunger.

During the COVID–19 pandemic when school closures were commonplace, the McGovern-Dole Program effectively shifted from providing meals in schools to providing take-home rations and distributed approximately 23,000 metric tons of commodities donated by the United States and 550 metric tons of locally procured commodities to more than 1,700,000 McGovern-Dole Program participants and their families across 26 active projects, ensuring that children continued to receive daily meals and learn while at home.

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