Rep. Stansbury Calls To Avert Hunger Cliff, Extend School Meal Funding

Statement

U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01), a member of the House Hunger Caucus, spoke on the House floor to call for the urgent passage of legislation to extend pandemic anti-hunger funding to support the one in four children in New Mexico facing food insecurity.

During her remarks, Rep. Stansbury highlighted the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on families across New Mexico, calling for an extension to pandemic waivers that provide school meals to more than 20 million children nationally and are set to expire at the end of June.

"Like so many children from New Mexico, I was a school lunch kid--which means that I qualified for 100% free and reduced-price lunch throughout my childhood," Rep. Stansbury said. "In fact, one in four children in New Mexico face food insecurity. For many of these kids, school meals are the only reliable meal of the day.

"During the pandemic, Congress made a game-changing decision--to feed all children, without barriers and bureaucratic obstacles. This is about the dignity and well-being of our families and meeting the most basic needs of our children. We have the opportunity to chart a new path forward for our country."

During her time in the New Mexico State Legislature, Rep. Stansbury was a key sponsor of legislation to address hunger and food insecurity in New Mexico, including passing a law to eliminate school meal co-pays and expand school meals to thousands of children across New Mexico.

Rep. Stansbury is a member of the bipartisan House Hunger Caucus and has continued her fight to tackle hunger at a federal level, cosponsoring key legislation to address childhood hunger, including:

H.R. 3115, The Universal School Meals Program Act to eliminate school lunch debt and permanently provide 3 locally- sourced meals a day and a snack to all schoolchildren, regardless of income.

H.R. 5177, The Schools Preventing Hunger in At Risk Kids (SPARK) Act, a bipartisan bill to make sure kids living with relatives or family friends can enroll in school meals. This would connect nearly 400,000 kids nationwide to the food they need to learn and grow.

H.R. 5048, The Streamlining Nutrition Assistance Paperwork Act, a bill that would cut red tape for New Mexicans seeking food assistance by allowing them to sign up for food assistance over the phone.

Rep. Stansbury's full remarks as delivered are below:

Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge this body to pass urgent legislation to help feed our kids.

If we do not act, millions of children across the U.S. and especially across New Mexico will lose access to vital school meals--breakfasts and lunches that are helping to address an epidemic of food insecurity that is impacting every corner of our state and our country.

Food insecurity has many faces.

Like so many children from New Mexico, I was a school lunch kid--which means that I qualified for 100% free and reduced-price lunch throughout my childhood. In fact, one in four children in New Mexico face food insecurity. For many of these kids, school meals are the only reliable meal of the day.

In New Mexico food is the center of our cultures and families, and yet so many of our families struggle every day to put food on the table. For every family this looks different--it may mean skipping meals, not being able to buy groceries every week, relying on school lunches and breakfasts, getting help from the local food bank or food pantry.

In many cases, we know that the pandemic, rising costs, and inflation have made the situation worse and hunger and food insecurity have intensified. That's why the work of this body, here in Congress, to expand funding for nutrition programs and school meals--has quite literally provided a lifeline to our kids and families.

But if Congress, and especially the Senate, does not act, millions of kids will lose access to the school meals that have carried them throughout the pandemic. This comes as the nation is grappling with the pandemic disruptions to supply chains and inflation that is putting even more stress on our families and schools.

In exactly one month, our country will be facing a hunger cliff as federal waivers for school meals are set to expire. We are talking about our kids losing access to 95 million meals across the country this summer.

I have worked on food and hunger issues throughout my career in public service. In New Mexico, we are working to reimagine our food system, to support and lift up our state's diverse and crucial food and agricultural traditions, while supporting families who are struggling.

As a state legislator, I was deeply proud to partner with our Governor, my colleagues in the state house, and hunger advocates across the state to address food insecurity and pass a bill to end school meal co-pays.

Here in Congress, I am proud to continue this work alongside anti-hunger champions like yourself, Madam Speaker, and as part of the Hunger Caucus led by Chairman Jim McGovern.

I am also proud to cosponsor H.R. 3115, the Universal School Meals Program Act, which would address this crisis in by permanently providing three locally- sourced meals a day to all schoolchildren.

The time to act is now. Our kids are counting on us. During the pandemic, Congress made a game-changing decision--to feed all children, without barriers and bureaucratic obstacles.

This is about the dignity and well-being of our families and meeting the most basic needs of our children. We have the opportunity to chart a new path forward for our country. Will we decide to be a nation that lets our kids go hungry, or will we decide that no child in America should ever have to experience food insecurity again.

This is the choice facing this body. And, this--Madam Speaker, is why we must extend school meals for our kids.

And with that, I yield back.

Source