Today, House Education and Labor Committee Republican Leader Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA), along with Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Republican Leader John Boozman (R-AR) and Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) announced an agreement to help school and summer providers keep kids fed. The Keep Kids Fed Act will provide important funding and flexibility for communities to provide children healthy meals this summer and provide support to schools and daycares to respond to supply chain challenges and high food costs for the coming school year.
“The bipartisan Keep Kids Fed Act will empower schools to weather supply chain problems and inflation with targeted and temporary aid to schools," said Representative Foxx. “This budget-neutral legislation will also put our country’s school nutrition programs back on the right track and keep the permanent pandemic narrative from being used to expand school meal programs beyond their intended purpose. This legislation will uphold our responsibility to taxpayers and abide by the principle that aid should be targeted and temporary while also helping students truly in need."
“While the country is on the road to recovery, many schools are still struggling with supply chain shortages and other increased costs that will make it more difficult to serve meals next year. This bill provides additional assistance to ensure that students can get the nutrition they need to help them learn and grow," said Representative Scott. “While this bill does not go as far as I would like in supporting our nation’s students, it is a meaningful step in the right direction."
“As I visit with our school nutrition professionals, it is quite clear that they need continued flexibilities to cope with ongoing supply chain issues. I am pleased that after lengthy bipartisan negotiations we were able to come to an agreement to extend the waivers in a manner that is fully paid for," said Senator Boozman.
“Time is running out! My agreement with Senator Boozman, Representative Scott and Representative Foxx will help keep kids fed and is fully paid for," said Senator Stabenow. “With 90% of our schools still facing challenges as they return to normal operations, this will give our schools and summer meal programs much-needed support to deal with ongoing food service issues. Congress needs to act swiftly to pass this critical help."
