“We commend the Senate for its bipartisan support for this legislation,” says Davis. “It will help ensure that the more than 14 million kids who currently don’t have enough to eat will have access to food where they live and learn.”
Contact: Meredith Jorss, mjorss@strength.org
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, the Senate passed H.R. 8337, a continuing resolution that both keeps the federal government funded through December 11 and extends critical federal nutrition programs that will help struggling families with children. First, it extends and expands Pandemic EBT, which provides a supplemental grocery benefit to families whose children are missing meals due to pandemic-related school disruptions, including remote and hybrid learning. Second, it officially gives the USDA the authority and funding to extend the waivers that are essential to schools’ continued ability to adapt their meal programs to ensure children are fed through the end of the 2021 school year. The following is a statement from Share Our Strength Senior Vice President Lisa Davis:
"We commend the Senate for its bipartisan support of this legislation, which will help ensure that the more than 14 million children who currently do not have enough to eat will have access to food where they live and learn.
Including both Pandemic EBT and child nutrition waivers in this bill is a victory for hungry kids, their families and the schools and community organizations working tirelessly to feed them. Pandemic EBT will help ensure no child misses a meal despite disruptions to their traditional school schedule. And, by granting USDA the authority and funding to extend waivers through September 30, 2021, this legislation removes the last roadblock for Secretary Perdue to extend these waivers through the end of the 2021 school year, and we urge him to do so.
While there are many issues that divide our nation, the need to protect children from hunger is not one of them – and today’s vote illustrates that. But the job is not done. We urge Congress and the Administration to continue this bipartisan work to help the millions of families struggling during this pandemic by passing a relief bill that increases SNAP benefits by 15%.”
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About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, 1 in 4 kids could face hunger this year. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty.