DeLauro Statement on White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health & National Strategy on Hunger
For video of Rep. DeLauro's panel remarks at the conference, click here
For video of President Joe Biden on the Child Tax Credit, click here
Chair of the House Appropriations Committee Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today released a statement in response to the Biden Administration's Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health and their recently announced National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, which is being released in tandem with the conference.
"First, I want to applaud the President and my colleagues House Rules Chair Jim McGovern, Senate HELP and LHHS Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Patty Murray, Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow, Senator Cory Booker, and House LHHS Subcommittee Ranking Member Tom Cole for their work to secure funding for this conference in the FY22 federal spending package. For the first time in 50 years, we are gathering to discuss the important business of ending hunger. I am pleased that in tandem with the conference, the Biden administration has released a National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health.
"Now, the question following the conference is where do we go from here? I believe we need to advance a number of policies, including extending the WIC eligibility for children until their sixth birthday or first day of kindergarten and expand WIC so that benefits do not lapse; raise the SNAP minimum benefit to at least $30 and expand D-SNAP for the territories; expand free school meals to every child; support local food systems; improve front of package labeling; and expand Food is Medicine opportunities.
"However, the policy I believe would be most effective in meeting the moment is the expanded, improved, and monthly Child Tax Credit that I helped secure in the American Rescue Plan. I am glad to see the White House call for making the expanded and improved Child Tax Credit permanent. These Child Tax Credit payments drove the largest decrease in the child poverty rate in history. Moreover, these monthly payments strongly reduced food insufficiency, leading to a 26 percent decline in food insufficiency among low-income households.
"All in all, the National Strategy represents a model to ensure Americans have access to healthy, nutritious foods, and that families have the resources necessary to keep food on the tables and pay their bills. I will work closely with my colleagues in Congress and the Biden Administration to implement this strategy, and finally end hunger in the U.S."