There many Congressional hearings and investigative trips that are expensive and/or pointless. However, this one is neither, in my opinion: four members of Congress have pledged to live for one week on $21 worth of food – the average amount of food stamps people on that program have to spend. Living through what all too many Americans have to go through for food, and for more than just a photo op, is a lesson in both humility and compassion that many of us would have a tough time dealing with. Myself included. You can read the story for yourself, and visit a couple of the blogs regarding their experiences, but I just wanted to publicly thank Rep.s Jim McGovern (D‑Mass.), Jo Ann Emerson (R‑Mo.), Tim Ryan (D‑Ohio), and Janice Schakowsky (D‑Ill.) for shedding some attention on America’s hungry and poor by taking on McGovern and Emerson’s “Food Stamp Challenge.”