Reid appoints 2 Nevadans to National Commission on Hunger
WASHINGTON — A Las Vegas city councilman and the director of a Northern Nevada food bank were named on Wednesday to a new National Commission on Hunger.
Councilman Ricki Barlow and Cherie Jamason, director of the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, were appointed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.
The 10-member commission was created by the omnibus appropriations bill that Congress passed last month and that allocated $1 million for its work. The panel will develop a report to Congress on new strategies to combat domestic hunger, in part through partnerships with nonprofits, businesses and faith-based groups.
As Senate majority leader, Reid was authorized to appoint three commissioners. The third, made at the recommendation of Sen. Robert Casey, D-Pa., is Dr. Mariana Chilton, a professor at Drexel University School of Public Health in Pennsylvania.
“Anyone can experience hunger, as we have learned during recent tough economic times,” Reid said in a statement. “But we know hunger disproportionally affects children and seniors. This is a problem we can solve through community partnerships and I am confident the findings of this commission will bring us closer to a solution.”
Other commissioners will be selected by the House speaker and the Senate and House minority leaders.
Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760. Follow him on Twitter @STetreaultDC.
