[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 193 (Tuesday, December 13, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H9719-H9723]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
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
Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 1156) 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.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1156
Whereas the George McGovern-Robert Dole International Food
for Education and Child Nutrition Program (referred to in
this preamble as the ``McGovern-Dole Program'') has improved
the food security, nutrition, literacy, and primary education
of school-age children, particularly young girls, and their
families in over 48 countries in just two decades;
Whereas the McGovern-Dole Program was established by
section 3107 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of
2002 (7 U.S.C. 1736o-1) to procure agricultural commodities
and provide financial and technical assistance to carry out
preschool and school food for education programs in foreign
countries and maternal, infant, and child nutrition programs
for pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants, and children
who are 5 years of age or younger;
Whereas the McGovern-Dole Program has provided over 5.5
billion school meals benefitting over 31 million school-age
children and their communities;
Whereas the McGovern-Dole Program has been successfully
administered by the Foreign Agricultural Service of the
Department of Agriculture;
Whereas the McGovern-Dole Program is a key program of the
Department of Agriculture aligned with the governmentwide
Global Food Security Strategy;
Whereas in fiscal year 2021 alone, McGovern-Dole Program
projects have directly benefitted more than 4.5 million
children and community members through the distribution of
United States-produced commodities that provide daily
nutritious and high-quality meals and mitigate food
insecurity;
Whereas the McGovern-Dole Program partners with American
farmers, who provide 46,770 metric tons (``MT'') of food
commodities in support of fiscal year 2021 McGovern-Dole
Program grants in Central America, Africa, and Asia;
Whereas the McGovern-Dole Program complements United States
agricultural commodities with food grown and purchased
locally to support farmers and markets within their own
communities and to build the capacity of local governments
and communities to continue and sustain the benefits of the
McGovern-Dole Program into the future;
Whereas 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 MT of
commodities donated by the United States and 550 MT 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;
Whereas the McGovern-Dole Program recognizes the value of
educating young girls and contributes to overcoming the
barriers they encounter in accessing a high-quality education
by promoting equality and the reduction of gender-based
violence;
Whereas school meals provide an incentive for families to
send girls to school and help girls to stay in school,
effectively preventing early marriage and delaying first
pregnancy, which can trap young women in poverty and limit
their future potential;
Whereas the McGovern-Dole Program strengthens local
community health and education through the formation of
parent-teacher associations, teacher training, and improving
the infrastructure of schools, classrooms, commodity
storerooms, latrines, and water sources; and
Whereas the United States, as a member of the Global School
Meals Coalition, is committed to and recognizes that
investments in McGovern-Dole Program, are central to
bolstering food security, building resilience to future
shocks, and supporting the nutritional, health, and
educational needs of children and adolescents worldwide: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of
Representatives that the United States is committed to--
(1) building upon the twenty years of successful work of
the George McGovern-Robert Dole International Food for
Education and Child Nutrition Program (in this resolution
referred to as the ``McGovern-Dole Program'') and its
positive role in breaking cycles of hunger and poverty,
providing opportunity through education and literacy, and
improving overall nutrition and health;
(2) complementing humanitarian assistance efforts and
development programs through the continued implementation of
the McGovern-Dole Program that addresses global food
insecurity and creates conditions for peace and stability;
and
(3) supporting United States farmers, millers, shippers,
and commodity groups that provide agricultural commodities
for use in the McGovern-Dole Program to help combat global
malnutrition and food insecurity and advance global
education.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
[[Page H9720]]
Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) and the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Mann)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts.
General Leave
Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Massachusetts?
There was no objection.
Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1156. Today, we
are considering this legislation, calling on Congress to build on the
20 years of success of the George McGovern-Robert Dole International
Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program.
McGovern-Dole is one of America's signature child nutrition and food
security programs. It is named after Senators George McGovern and Bob
Dole, both of whom worked tirelessly and in a bipartisan way to end
hunger among children in the United States and around the world.
They continued their work together after leaving the Senate, living
examples of what can be accomplished when Members of Congress put
partisanship aside and make the welfare of children and families their
number one priority.
In that bipartisan tradition, I am proud to stand here today with my
Republican colleague and co-lead on this resolution, Congressman Tracey
Mann. I am grateful to each of the 86 bipartisan cosponsors of this
resolution.
I also want to honor and recognize our former colleague, the
incredible Jo Ann Emerson, who was my co-lead in 2001 when the
McGovern-Dole legislation was first introduced and later established by
Congress in the 2002 farm bill.
Over the past 20 years, McGovern-Dole has provided lifesaving meals
in a school setting to over 31 million of the world's most vulnerable
children, providing U.S. and international organizations with American
commodities, grants, and technical assistance to strengthen child
nutrition and education.
Working through partners like the World Food Programme, Catholic
Relief Services, World Vision, Save the Children, Counterpart
International, and many more, McGovern-Dole has reduced hunger and
increased school enrollments, attendance, literacy, and the support of
families and communities for education, especially for girls.
America's farmers are vital to the success of the McGovern-Dole
Program. Over the past 20 years, more than 1.3 million metric tons of
U.S. commodities have been used to create nutritious, culturally
appropriate school meals in over 48 countries.
But just as important as the statistics, perhaps even more important,
are the stories. I remember in Colombia, I visited a program in Soacha,
on the outskirts of Bogota. On barren hillsides, surrounded by shanties
housing thousands of internally displaced families, children were
receiving school breakfast and lunch.
Mothers and grandmothers were training as cooks, preparing the meals.
Clearly visible in the cafeteria were USDA and USAID bags of grains,
beans, and lentils.
One mother came up to me and said: ``Please thank the American people
when you go back home. I couldn't feed my children. I couldn't send
them to school. I was afraid my son was going to join the
paramilitaries or the guerillas just to get food. Now, my son is
getting fed, and he is staying in school. Please tell the American
people thank you.''
In Nairobi, Kenya, in the largest slum in the world, I went to a
McGovern-Dole breakfast and lunch program. The school principal showed
me how they store and prepare the U.S. commodities that feed her
students and how all the students know that this is a program from the
American people. I ate porridge made from American yellow peas. The
kids dug into the food like it was manna from heaven.
One little boy would take a bite and then scoop a small amount out of
his bowl and put it in his pockets. He was taking food home to his
younger siblings who don't get anything to eat.
Madam Speaker, McGovern-Dole represents the very best of this
country. It is something the American people should be proud of, a
powerful message to the world about who we are and what we stand for,
not only freedom of speech, freedom of religion, or freedom of the
press, but also freedom from want, freedom from fear, and freedom from
hunger.
There are many ways to advance our national security and economic
interests abroad. This program ought to be at the top of the list. As
we confront the global challenges of war, pandemic, and climate change,
food security and nutrition programs must remain at the forefront of
international development and humanitarian work.
I urge my colleagues to visit McGovern-Dole programs when they travel
abroad. I urge them to support funding that expands and builds upon
these 20 years of success.
Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H. Res. 1156,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MANN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1156.
Twenty years ago, Kansas legend and hero of mine Senator Bob Dole and
Senator George McGovern reached across the aisle to gather bipartisan
support for their noble idea to have the U.S. Department of Agriculture
purchase surplus American commodities from producers and donate those
products to countries across the globe struggling with food security.
Since then, the McGovern-Dole Program has provided 5.5 billion school
meals to 31 million school-age children in 48 countries, improving the
food security, nutrition, literacy, and primary education of these
children and their families.
Codified as part of 2002 farm bill, the program is an ongoing,
successful example of public-private partnerships. The U.S. Department
of Agriculture works alongside nonprofit organizations, cooperatives,
and organizations like the World Food Programme, Catholic Relief
Services, World Vision, Save the Children, Mercy Corps, and many more
to provide school meals, teacher training, and related support to
bolster school enrollment and academic performance, all to keep kids
fed and learning.
Just in the past 2 months, I have heard nothing but excitement about
this program from both wheat farmers at home and sorghum producers who
visited with me in my office here in Washington, D.C. There is a reason
all commodity groups and humanitarian aid organizations support moving
this legislation forward.
Whether it is wheat and sorghum from Kansas, red beans from
Louisiana, or peanut butter formula made from Georgia peanuts, American
agricultural producers are vital to the success of the McGovern-Dole
Program. Since the program's inception, they have proudly donated more
than 1.3 metric tons of commodities to create nutritious school meals.
Representative McGovern and I, along with 86 cosponsors, have brought
this resolution forward to the House to express this body's commitment
to build on the success of the McGovern-Dole Program and to support the
American farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers who provide the
commodities required for it to function.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this
resolution and to support this program's success for 20 more years and
beyond, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Bishop).
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for
allowing me to speak on this bill.
I rise in support of H. Res. 1156. I thank my colleague from
Massachusetts, whose bipartisan efforts more than 20 years ago led to
the creation of the George McGovern-Robert Dole International Food for
Education and Child Nutrition Program.
Since then, this program has enjoyed bipartisan support. The United
States continues to produce the highest quality, safest, most abundant,
and most economical food and fiber anywhere in the world.
[[Page H9721]]
Drawing on this abundance, we are able to provide school meals,
teacher training, and nutrition programs for pregnant and nursing
women. Whether at home or abroad, we know that by reducing hunger and
improving nutrition, we help support better educational outcomes.
This program is a win-win for America, supporting America's farmers
and producers by providing donated U.S. agricultural commodities and
using them to help reduce child hunger, improve education, and support
greater security in the world. I believe this program has been and will
continue to be an essential tool for diplomacy.
As chair of the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food
and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, it has been my honor to
fund this program each year. It is true to the spirit of service and
compassion that Ambassador and former Senator George McGovern and
former Senator Bob Dole embodied. This program helps bring the bounty
of America's farmers, ranchers, millers, producers, shippers, and
commodity groups to assist vulnerable children and mothers around the
world.
So, in celebrating the first 20 years of its success, I look forward
to the program's enduring impact in the years ahead.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I
urge its passage.
Mr. MANN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
North Carolina (Mr. Rouzer).
Mr. ROUZER. Madam Speaker, I rise today and join my colleagues in
support of H. Res. 1156, expressing the commitment of the House of
Representatives to building on 20 years of success of the George
McGovern-Robert Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program.
During the past two decades, McGovern-Dole has provided more than 5.5
billion school meals, benefiting more than 31 million school-age
children and their communities.
I have seen this program in action, up close and firsthand, and it is
a special sight to see.
Having traveled with then-chairman of the Committee on Agriculture
Mike Conaway several years ago to some Third World countries where food
is scarce and extreme poverty, like most have never seen, is the norm,
it is easy to understand how imperative this program is for so many
children who would likely never have a nutritious meal.
Just as important and because of how the program was crafted, the
McGovern-Dole Program provides an opportunity to learn, laying the
foundation for an improved life through knowledge and then achievement.
For many of these children who come from very poor means, this meal
provided at school is, quite frankly, the only good meal of the day.
It is also important to recognize the support of the American
agricultural producers who make this program possible. America's farm
families have produced more than 1.3 million metric tons of
agricultural commodities for donation, doing their part in reducing
hunger and improving primary education in countries around the globe.
{time} 1445
Congress must continue to lead by example in tackling hunger and
poverty around the world for years to come. These efforts not only help
feed those who cannot help themselves, but it builds good will and
provides so many hope and a future. Many laws have been passed by this
Chamber, but none have been more impactful to the lives of so many
children who desperately need the help around the world.
Madam Speaker, I am proud to support this resolution expressing
Congress' commitment to carrying on the success of this program along
with the great legacies of Ambassador McGovern and my great friend,
Senator Bob Dole. I encourage my colleagues to support this resolution.
Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the
gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the distinguished chair of
the Appropriations Committee.
Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this bipartisan
resolution. It expresses the commitment of this Chamber to build on the
20 years of success of the George McGovern-Robert Dole International
Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program.
Its mission is simple: Reduce hunger and improve literacy and
poverty. By providing countless school meals, the program helps improve
child nutrition, maternal health, and access to quality education,
particularly for girls. I was proud that the Appropriations Committee
was able to include $265 million for this critical program this summer,
the most in the program's history.
During its 20-year history, it has made a positive difference in the
lives of more than 31 million children and families in 48 countries
around the world.
During the pandemic, when school closures were commonplace, the
McGovern-Dole Program quickly shifted from providing meals in schools
to providing take-home options that distributed about 23,000 metric
tons of commodities donated by the United States and 550 metric tons of
locally procured commodities to more than 1.7 million children and
families across 26 projects. These efforts ensured that children would
continue receiving daily meals and, at its crux, they would not go
hungry while they were learning at home.
Let us remain committed to not only carrying on the legacy of these
giants--Ambassador McGovern and Senator Dole--but continue to follow
the example that they set, working to tackle hunger and poverty around
the world.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
Mr. MANN. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the
gentlewoman from Connecticut (Mrs. Hayes), my distinguished colleague.
Mrs. HAYES. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1156,
building on 20 years of success of the McGovern-Dole International Food
for Education and Child Nutrition Program.
For two decades, the McGovern-Dole nutrition program has led the way
in alleviating hunger and improving food security around the world. I
deeply believe in the core values of this nutrition program because, as
a teacher, I saw with my own eyes that hungry kids don't learn.
It is one of the greatest investments Congress can make. By providing
at least one nutritious meal per day to vulnerable children in schools
across the world, we are also investing in their development and their
education. Beyond these children and their families, we also continue
to support U.S. producers.
During my time as the 2016 National Teacher of the Year, I traveled
abroad to many countries as an ambassador for education. While abroad,
I learned the degree to which other countries look to us to lead the
way for food security and childhood nutrition. I was greeted by
numerous children on the African continent who thanked me as the
American teacher for all of the American programs.
Our international food aid programs are not just an exercise of good
will. They are absolutely critical to communities protecting themselves
from the devastation of food insecurity. It is our moral obligation to
ensure that we contribute to the food security of the global
community--particularly children, pregnant women, and new mothers--
whenever possible.
I have been a proud supporter of McGovern-Dole funding during my time
in Congress, and I will continue to do so. I urge my colleagues to vote
for this in support of the House Resolution.
Mr. MANN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to
close.
It has been a privilege to advocate for this resolution today. The
McGovern-Dole program absolutely deserves the recognition of Congress
for its wide support and bipartisan nature.
It is not often that you can go to a grain elevator in Kansas to
speak with commodity groups and visit with nuns from Catholic Charities
in Washington, D.C. and hear them both advocating for the exact same
program. More than 200 commodity groups, trade associations,
humanitarian groups, and businesses support this program for its merits
and support today's resolution.
This resolution honors the positive impact that we can have when we
reach across the aisle and work together. Senators Bob Dole and George
[[Page H9722]]
McGovern had a brilliant vision, and they executed on it. It has been a
joy to work with Representative McGovern and more than 86 cosponsors on
today's resolution.
Today, we honor the 20th anniversary of the McGovern-Dole program
because it is a shining example of strategic and effective foreign
diplomacy that we can all support. Today, I urge all my colleagues to
vote ``yes'' on this simple bipartisan resolution.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I have one additional speaker, but I
don't see her. I yield myself the balance of my time to close.
First of all, let me thank the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Mann) for
his support of this resolution and for his advocacy on behalf of the
McGovern-Dole program. As we listened to the back-and-forth here today,
it is really quite inspiring to see the breadth of the bipartisanship
here, that we are all dedicated to trying to deal with this horrific
problem of childhood hunger around the world.
Hunger is a political condition. We have the resources, the funds,
and the infrastructure. We have everything we need to eradicate hunger
in this country and across the planet. What we have lacked is the
political will.
The McGovern-Dole program was inspired by George McGovern and Bob
Dole, a liberal Democrat from South Dakota and a conservative
Republican from Kansas. Their efforts together have made a dent in
childhood hunger. It has made a huge difference. It has allowed more
young kids, especially girls, to go to school, to become literate, to
be able to get an education, to be able to succeed in their countries.
It is so incredible when you travel and you see a McGovern-Dole
project anywhere in the world, how grateful people are to the people of
the United States for supporting this.
Parents are the same everywhere. We all want to make sure that our
kids are safe, that they are fed, that they have a good future. What
this program does is, it helps parents ensure that their kids' future
is bright.
I believe that when we talk about national security, it has to be
more than just about the number of bombs we have. It has to be about
how we alleviate these global challenges like hunger, and in this case,
childhood hunger. That is the way we build a more secure and a more
stable world.
I am proud of all the organizations that have participated in the
McGovern-Dole program. I am proud of all those who have helped
administer the McGovern-Dole program, and I am proud to serve with
colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, who support this important
initiative.
I will close simply by saying, this is not only a good program, it is
a great program. At a time when people wonder where the bipartisanship
is in Washington, here is an example where we can bring people
together.
I know I mentioned her briefly in the beginning, but I do want to
acknowledge our former colleague, Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson from
Missouri. She was a strong partner in this effort early on, in getting
the legislation that established McGovern-Dole up and running, and I
can't ever thank her enough.
To all my colleagues, please support H. Res. 1156, and please let us
all commit to doing more to eradicate hunger and food insecurity here
in the United States and around the world in the year to come.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1156,
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.
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.
In 2017, there were 821 million people worldwide experiencing hunger.
That is one in every nine people.
66 million children are experiencing hunger worldwide every day. One
in six children are food insecure.
According to UNICEF, approximately 3.1 million children globally die
from undernutrition every year. It is estimated that every 10 seconds a
child around the globe dies from hunger.
Even in the United States, hunger and food insecurity are major
problems. In my home of Houston, almost 725,000 people experience food
insecurity, which amounts to about 23% of Houston's households.
More than 500,000 Houstonians live in food deserts. These food
deserts are found mostly in areas with limited transportation, lack of
aid, and high unemployment rates.
Hunger is also tragic because it reflects economic and social
inequity. In Houston, for example, food deserts are more likely to
occur in primarily Black communities.
Lack of food doesn't just impact a child's hunger levels. Food
insecurity stunts a child's growth and development and often children
fall behind in school because they are unable to focus while
experiencing hunger.
Children who experience food insecurity grow into adults with health
complications that emerged from the lack of food.
As former Chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus I worked to
improve the lives of children not only in the United States, but
globally because the children are the future, and we must do everything
possible to protect them.
Global food insecurity is of great importance to me because, not only
am I a longtime Member of the House Hunger Caucus, I represent the same
Congressional District that had been represented by iconic leaders who
fought to end hunger in the U.S. and globally.
I am proud to continue the historic legacy of Congresswoman Barbara
Jordan, who was a champion for human dignity and fought for the rights
of all people regardless of race, gender, heritage, or economic status,
and Congressman Mickey Leland, who worked tirelessly to raise awareness
of, and fight for, policies to end food insecurity around the globe and
who, tragically, died in a plane crash while working to end world
hunger on a relief mission in Ethiopia.
Starvation is a terrible thing. It's something that nobody should
have to go through. And yet, there are people in this world who are
starving right now as a consequence of natural disasters, war, and even
as a tool of warfare.
In Pakistan, food deprivation is compounded by the human toll from
recent floods and other natural disasters. Using drought to
strategically exacerbate starvation is unacceptable.
The people of Ethiopia's Tigre Province are being subjected to a
truly vile and malicious use of food deprivation in this way. The
region was already suffering from drought, and when compounded by
forced starvation from denial of access to food as a weapon of war, the
effect is heinous and the consequences are unforgiveable.
Russia's aggression against Ukraine is a global food insecurity
tragedy on multiple levels. As Putin wages his war against the people
of Ukraine, he uses food as a weapon by destroying the food production
and transportation capacity of the country he invaded. At the same
time, since Ukraine grows grains and crops that feed much of the world,
Putin's devastation of Ukraine's food production infrastructure and
takeovers of Ukrainian food exports cause food insecure populations of
countless countries to suffer, especially in Africa.
The McGovern-Dole program also aims to defeat malnutrition. Children
across the globe are affected by malnutrition and the McGovern Dole
program is working to combat this debilitating condition.
The McGovern Dole Program has been successful at saving lives all
over the world for 20 years.
This program boosts school enrollment, increases attendance, and
improves reading outcomes and literacy results through providing school
meals, teacher training, and government capacity-building.
The McGovern Dole Program has been able to improve health, nutrition,
and dietary practices through supporting Maternal and Child Nutrition
(MCN). The program encourages the inclusion of health and nutrition
sensitive activities, such as micronutrient-fortified products, take-
home rations, treatments for illnesses, and nutrition education.
H. Res. 1156 must be passed. With bipartisan Congressional support,
the United States has been able to work with other countries on hunger,
specifically childhood hunger, which is a devastating condition.
It is imperative that we continue to work together to reduce hunger
worldwide.
We must end this unnecessary suffering before it claims even more
lives.
This bill must be important to us all. Investing in children today
will only benefit the world in the future.
We must continue this program to address global food insecurity and
create conditions for peace and stability.
This effort will support U.S. farmers, millers, shippers, and
commodity groups that provide agricultural commodities for the program
to help combat malnutrition and food insecurity worldwide.
I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this critical bill
that will build upon
[[Page H9723]]
the 20 years of success of the George McGovern-Robert Dole
International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Hayes). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) that the
House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1156.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________