WATCH: Chairman Scott Leads House Passage of Keep Kids Fed Act
Washington - Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) delivered the following remarks during today’s floor debate on passing the Keep Kids Fed Act (S.2089).
View Chairman Scott’s floor remarks on YouTube.
“Roughly two years ago, our communities experienced an unprecedented surge in child hunger, spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. Just weeks into the pandemic, more than one in every three households with children, and nearly half of all mothers with young children, struggled with food insecurity.
“In response, Congress took decisive action to ensure that child nutrition programs—our best tools for addressing child hunger—could continue feeding hungry children during the pandemic.
“One of the most important steps we took was providing child nutrition programs with the flexibility they needed to expand access to school meals and address the challenges of serving students who are not physically in the school buildings.
“This relief made a measurable difference in our fight against child hunger. By expanding access to child nutrition programs, we allowed an additional 10 million students to receive free school meals each day. And, from January 2021 through April 2021, food shortages among households with children fell by more than 40 percent.
“Regrettably, unless Congress acts, these key flexibilities will expire at the end of this month.
“The bipartisan and bicameral Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022 is likely our best and last opportunity to preserve relief for child nutrition programs. This legislation would maintain school meal flexibilities that do not increase costs; continue flexibilities to support summer food programs this year; provide additional support for child and adult care feeding programs; and increase school meal reimbursement rates for this upcoming school year.
“As we continue to recover from the pandemic, the Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022 will take a critical step to support child nutrition programs and prevent children from going hungry during the ongoing public health emergency.
“This is a step well worth taking.
“I want to thank the Ranking Member of the full Committee, Dr. Foxx, for working with me and Senators Stabenow and Boozman on this legislation.
“I urge a ‘yes’ vote on this bill and I reserve the balance of my time.”
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