September 14, 2009
Contact: Mike Donohue (202) 331-5902, Maureen Ryan (202) 331-5939

Washington, D.C. – The National Restaurant Association today presented its first annual Congressional Leadership Award to U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) in recognition of his efforts to fight hunger here at home and around the world. The award was presented to Sen. Lugar at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

"As a champion of hunger-relief efforts, Senator Lugar has demonstrated effective leadership on this issue – one that is of great importance to the restaurant industry," said National Restaurant Association President and CEO Dawn Sweeney. "Senator Lugar has always been a strong supporter of hunger relief policies in Congress. He has also been active in his home state of Indiana, hosting food drives and helping local food banks."

Sen. Lugar is a founding member of the Senate Hunger Caucus, a group seeking bipartisan solutions to end hunger in the U.S. and around the world. Lugar is also an original sponsor of the Good Samaritan Hunger Relief Tax Incentive Extension Act, a bill that would advocate for the 36 million Americans at risk of hunger, and help more restaurants take advantage of a tax deduction for food donations and reduce food waste. As Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Lugar released a report earlier this year assessing the causes and consequences of food insecurity in several countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, and recommendations for how best to alleviate it. Sen. Lugar is currently sponsoring a statewide food drive called "Hoosiers Fighting Hunger," benefiting Indiana food banks. For more information on this initiative, please visit Sen. Lugar's website.

The National Restaurant Association created the Congressional Leadership Award to recognize members of Congress who advocate on behalf of important restaurant industry causes and support legislation that help the industry to sustain its role as a job creator, a career training ground, and a cornerstone of the community. Also honored with the Congressional Leadership Award this year were Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.).