Emerson leads bipartisan effort

This summer has been difficult for Missourians and for people around the world. Severe weather has plagued America's heartland; the U.S. economy continues to be a struggle; and partisan politics is pulling Washington, D.C., apart. However, half a world away, in the Horn of Africa, a more dire crisis has escalated. Somalia and parts of Ethiopia are facing a famine. Over the last three months, 29,000 children have died of starvation, and the situation will likely worsen before it improves. Experts estimate that the crisis will continue for at least another five months.

Despite the intense focus on the deficit in Congress, Rep. Jo Ann Emerson has taken a step toward helping those in desperate need in the Horn of Africa. Last week, Emerson and Hunger Caucus co-chairman Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calling for U.S. leadership in the Horn of Africa. In the letter, Emerson and McGovern wrote that "providing life-saving assistance to avert mass starvation is fundamental to who we are as Americans it is not only the right thing to do -- it is in our national interest." The letter was signed by 14 members of the House representing both sides of the aisle.

I applaud Emerson for her leadership on this issue and for her willingness to lead this bipartisan group of her colleagues on such an important matter. Her efforts prove that even in difficult times, Americans remain committed to our values of compassion and justice.

ELLEN DILLON, Cape Girardeau