Statement attributed to Vince Hall, Chief Government Relations Officer
Today, Senate Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (MI) released the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act bill summary – a critical step forward in advancing a final farm bill. The bill summary reflects the bipartisan priorities of numerous Senators and recognizes the pivotal role the bill has in increasing investments to reduce food insecurity in America.
Our neighbors facing hunger have told us in our annual Elevating Voices: Insights Report that food insecurity should be treated as an urgent crisis and Feeding America applauds the Chairwoman for releasing a strong farm bill proposal that prioritizes our neighbors by strengthening federal nutrition programs.
The Senate bill summary ensures the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit levels are protected and continued investment in The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) to support U.S farmers and food banks.
By prioritizing the Thrifty Food Plan, SNAP will be able to account for factors beyond inflation that impact the actual cost of a frugal, nutritious diet for families. Continued modernization of the Thrifty Food Plan is essential to help ensure that SNAP participants—a majority of whom are children, seniors and people with disabilities—can better afford the nutritious foods we all need to thrive.
Senator Stabenow’s bill summary also includes critical investments that would improve equity, including by improving access to SNAP for military families, college students, and individuals who have paid their debt to society for drug-related felonies. It also provides a pathway to SNAP access for US citizens living in Puerto Rico, addressing long-standing inequities between states and territories. These provisions support what we’ve heard from our neighbors – it is important for Congress to make it easier for children and adults to qualify and enroll in food assistance programs when they need help.
The bill summary also provides investments in TEFAP to help move food from U.S. producers and farmers through food banks to families facing hunger. It is vitally important to both ensure families can access the healthiest foods from food banks and also to bolster our U.S. farm economy. The Feeding America network of food banks is purchasing more food than ever, at higher prices than ever, to respond to increasing demand. The Senate Agriculture Committee bill summary commits to strengthening TEFAP which will enable farmers to move more nutritious food to families facing hunger and ensure food banks can better meet the high demand they currently face.
Senator Stabenow’s summary bill takes a step forward to ensuring we have a farm bill that listens to the needs of our neighbors facing hunger. As the farm bill process moves forward, Feeding America urges Congress to work together to pass a bipartisan bill that strengthens and protects the federal nutrition programs that helps provide the food millions of people across the country need to thrive.
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About Feeding America
Feeding America® is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 partner agencies, food pantries and meal programs, we helped provide 5.3 billion meals to tens of millions of people in need last year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; brings attention to the social and systemic barriers that contribute to food insecurity in our nation; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.