Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2089) to amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that grants provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for State veterans' cemeteries do not restrict States from authorizing the interment of certain deceased members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces in such cemeteries, and for other purposes, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that

all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 2089.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, S. 2089 was amended to replace the language of that bill with the language of H.R. 8150, the bipartisan and bicameral Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022, in order to send the bill to the Senate for expedited passage.

Roughly 2 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 of 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. From January 2021 to April 2021, food shortages among households with children fell by more than 40 percent.

Regrettably, unless Congress acts, these key flexibilities would 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 would 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 thank the ranking member of the full committee, Dr. Foxx, and Senators Stabenow and Boozman for working with me on this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. Omar), a distinguished member of the Committee on Education and Labor and a leading advocate to reduce and eliminate child hunger.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Adams), a member of the Committee on Education and Labor and chair of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Mrvan), the distinguished member of the Committee on Education and Labor.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I include in the Record two letters from No Kid Hungry and the Food Research and Action Center, better known as FRAC.

[From Share Our Strength]

Share Our Strength's Lisa Davis on the Introduction of the `Keep Kids

Fed' Act To Extend Child Nutrition Waivers

Washington, DC.--This afternoon, leadership from the Senate

Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry and the

House Committee on Education and Labor announced an agreement

to extend nationwide child nutrition waivers, which are set

to expire on June 30. The Keep Kids Fed Act would extend some

of these waivers through the 2022-2023 school year and

provide school nutrition programs with additional funding to

help address food price inflation and supply chain

challenges. The following is a statement from No Kid Hungry

Senior Vice President Lisa Davis:

``We are grateful that a deal has come together to help

address the immense challenges facing schools and community

organizations working tirelessly to feed kids this summer and

during the school year. This issue couldn't be more urgent

with waivers expiring in nine days and summer meals programs

already up and running.

``Time is of the essence, especially for those operating

summer meals sites without the certainty and flexibility of

the waivers who will face difficulties turning on a dime. We

know these waivers are needed and that they work. The reach

of the summer meals program increased dramatically with them,

doubling in 2021 and even tripling in 2020.

``While these waivers don't solve supply chain issues,

lower the rising cost of food and gas, or solve our nation's

inflation problem, they do help soften their impact on

schools and community organizations and, ultimately, keep

kids fed and nourished.

``As we know with legislation like this, there can be miles

to go before it gets across the finish line. We urge Congress

to move quickly on the Keep Kids Fed Act before nationwide

child nutrition waivers expire on June 30.''

Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, as I said at the beginning of the debate, the legislation before us is likely our last and best opportunity to protect millions of students' access to nutrition programs, which have been critical to feeding hungry children during the pandemic.

The simple reality is that schools, children, and families are still dealing with the impacts of COVID-19. As school meal programs continue to endure supply chain disruptions, inflation, and other challenges, the Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022 would provide school meal programs that are urgently needed for stability and will help continue providing students with nutritious meals that they need.

We know this bill alone will not end all hunger in America, but it will be an important step to stand up for our Nation's children and fulfill our basic responsibility to keep them from going hungry.

Again, I thank the ranking member of the committee, Dr. Foxx, and I thank the gentlewoman from California, Mrs. Steel, for helping to bring

this bipartisan, bicameral legislation to the floor. I also thank Senators Stabenow and Boozman for their work in bringing this legislation to reality.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support S. 2089, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1204, I call up the bill (S. 2089) to amend the Families First Coronavirus Response Act to extend child nutrition waiver authority, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendment to the House amendment thereto, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on the legislation currently under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, we are here, again, to pass legislation to ensure that our Nation's children have access to healthy meals. The Senate amended the bill that we passed yesterday, and so today we are going accept that amendment so the bill can be forwarded on to the President for signature.

S. 2089 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.

We know this bill alone will not end hunger in America, nor does it uphold the stronger provisions in the bill that the House passed yesterday, but it is an important step to take for our Nation's children and to fulfill our basic responsibility to keep them from going hungry.

I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina, the ranking member of the committee, Dr. Foxx, for cooperating and making sure this legislation could come to the floor, along with the Senator Stabenow from Michigan and Senator Boozman from Arkansas.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the motion, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

The reality is that Congress has reached its deadline. We must pass this critical legislation to ensure that children have healthy meals this summer and that schools and daycares have the funding and flexibilities they need to respond to the supply chain challenges and high food costs in the future.

If we do not act, we will jeopardize children's access to nutritious meals.

I wish, again, to thank the ranking member, Dr. Foxx, for her cooperation in bringing this bipartisan, bicameral legislation to the floor, along with Senators Stabenow and Boozman.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support S. 2089, support the motion, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record for S. 2089, as amended, the following letters from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Feeding America, Save the Children, the School Nutrition Association, the Council of the Great City Schools, and the Center for Law and Social Policy in support of the Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022.

[June 21, 2022]

Protect Nutrition Security for Children: Academy of Nutrition and

Dietetics Welcomes New Bipartisan Bill

Chicago--The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics strongly

supports the new Keep Kids Fed Act, introduced June 21 in

Congress, as a crucial step in addressing nutrition security

among school-aged children in the United States. The bill was

introduced by U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow (Mich.) and John

Boozman (Ark.) and U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott (Va.) and Virginia

Foxx (N.C.).

``Studies have shown that the school cafeteria is the

healthiest place for children to eat in the U.S.,'' said

registered dietitian nutritionist and the Academy's 2022-2023

President Ellen R. Shanley. ``The Keep Kids Fed Act therefore

is more important than ever in providing parents and

guardians with the assurance that their children are

receiving healthful meals to fuel them throughout this summer

as well as the next school year.''

The Academy commends the Keep Kids Fed Act, which grants

the U.S. Department of Agriculture the authority to provide

temporary waivers that will provide full flexibilities to

summer meal programs, eliminate the reduced-price meal

category and increase reimbursement rates in response to

rising food costs.

``The Academy and our members have tirelessly advocated for

the continuation of child nutrition waivers as the country

continues to grapple with ongoing supply chain and labor

shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as

inflation,'' Shanley said.

Because the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on

people from underrepresented communities and those with diet-

related disease, access to healthful school meals promotes

nutrition security as well as health equity.

While the Academy considers nutrition waivers to be a step

in the right direction, the legislation comes late in the

process as schools are organizing and operating summer meal

programs and planning meal programs for the next school year.

``A better solution is to make school meals free for all

children, all year,'' Shanley said.

``The Academy has long advocated for Healthy School Meals for

All and will continue to educate members of Congress on its

benefits. We look forward to working with Congress on a

permanent solution to issues of nutrition security for all,

particularly for children.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, long overdue legislation to address gun violence in our schools and neighborhoods. Although this legislation is far from perfect, it is an important step forward in solving the epidemic of gun violence that has gripped our nation for decades.

In the weeks following the tragedy in Uvalde at Robb Elementary and the racist attack at a grocery store in Buffalo, I spoke with many constituents who continue to urge action. Teachers, parents, and concerned community members from Northwest Oregon shared pleas for Congress to follow through on our responsibility to our children and our nation by immediately passing bold policies to implement gun safety reform. An educator I know told me that after Uvalde, she sat down with her students and told them she would take a bullet for them. Conversations like this are happening in classrooms across the country, but they shouldn't have to. Congress must provide all students with safe learning environments free from the threat of gun violence. The House already passed a comprehensive slate of gun violence prevention legislation, and I look forward to building on that by voting for this legislation that came out of the bipartisan Senate negotiations.

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act will help to protect Americans and make gun sales safer. The most effective way to protect communities from gun violence is to keep guns out of the hands of individuals who are a danger to themselves and others. This legislation will incentivize states to establish extreme risk protection order laws, enhance background checks for people under the age of 21, end straw purchasing, and penalize gun traffickers. It will also safeguard survivors of domestic violence by closing the so called ``boyfriend loophole,'' prohibiting people convicted of domestic violence crimes from possessing firearms.

Additionally, this bill makes a robust investment in under Title IV-A of the Every Student Succeeds Act. Fully funding this important grant program will help to close the opportunity and resource gaps in our nation's public schools, and I'm pleased this bill recognizes the importance of this program in providing students of all backgrounds with a well-rounded, safe, and healthy education.

Although these actions to address gun violence in our communities and fund critical school improvement programs are important, I am concerned about how various provisions in the bill could harm Black and brown students and students with disabilities in our nation's schools. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act increases funding for school resource officers (SROs) and codifies further involvement of the Department of Homeland Security in education through threat assessments. Research and practice show that both SROs and threat assessments are ineffective in keeping students safe in schools. As Chair of the Civil Rights and Human Services Subcommittee, I remain committed to protecting students' civil rights and delivering on the promise of an equitable, world-class public education for each and every student in this country. I will closely monitor the implementation of this legislation to make sure our most marginalized and vulnerable students are not subject to further disproportionate discipline and discriminatory targeting in schools.

As a member of the Gun Violence Prevention Taskforce, I again want to recognize how crucial the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act is to our schools, communities, and country. This bill will be the first substantive action on gun violence prevention since the passage of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act in 1994. In the last 30 years, our nation has been devastated over and over again by horrific tragedies like we saw in recent weeks at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas. We cannot bring back those who have been murdered, but we can enact meaningful laws that will prevent more senseless deaths.

I urge swift passage of the legislation.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to support this bipartisan legislation that will help ensure students receive healthy school meals. Students need access to nutritious meals so that they can be their best, both in and out of the classroom. Today's bipartisan legislation does just that.

During pandemic lockdowns, school food programs were critical to those in need. These programs play an important role in non-pandemic times, too.

It is important that we ensure this program is sustainable for schools, and that means responsible oversight and a return to regular order.

We want to make sure that students who rely on school meals have access to them and that schools can continue to supply them, even in the face of skyrocketing, record-high inflation.

As our constituents know, the price of just about everything has increased. The average family is spending $450 more per month. Eggs are up 32 percent, milk is up 16 percent, and bacon is up 15 percent. Our school meals programs are no exception to these rising costs.

This measure will help schools cope with rising food prices by temporarily providing supplemental reimbursements as these programs transition back to normal operations.

I do think it is very important to emphasize that these increases are temporary and will last 1 year.

I appreciate the Democrats and the Senate for working with us to ensure these are temporary, supplemental funds to address inflation specifically. They are not an arbitrary increase in spending. Using the inflation crisis or the supply chain problem to increase Federal spending permanently would be especially unwise and irresponsible.

I also am glad the legislation requires USDA to provide school leaders and parents with support and guidance as the program transitions to normal operations.

It is Congress' job to ensure these programs are working as efficiently and effectively as possible. It is our duty to make sure these programs are fulfilling their intended purpose, which is to help students.

I am happy to see this legislation put these school nutrition programs back on the right track.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx), Republican leader of the Committee on Education and Labor.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, the Keep Kids Fed Act is a bipartisan, budget-neutral bill that supports students and protects taxpayers. This bill will return our school nutrition programs back to normal, pre-pandemic operations. I appreciate the majority working with us to ensure this is a true transition back to regular operation, which is fully paid for and includes a requirement to support parents and school leaders.

This legislation will also support schools dealing with the supply chain and inflation crisis. This allows our Nation's schools to focus on delivering healthy meals for students so they can focus on being successful in the classroom. I am pleased we were able to come to a bicameral and bipartisan solution, and I urge my colleagues to vote for the Keep Kids Fed Act.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to rise in strong support of the House Amendment to S. 2089, the ``Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022.''

Today's bill is a matter of urgency.

If Congress does not act now to pass this emergency legislation, millions of children will spend their summer hungry. Millions of children may be forced to spend their school days not learning and growing but feeling the pangs of empty stomachs.

Hungry children cannot focus their attention on their studies and learning. They simply cannot thrive while trying to survive.

Free and reduced breakfast and lunch waivers are lifelines for families across the nation.

I think of the struggling families in my district who have battled against the COVID-19 pandemic for the past two years.

Families who now face record high inflation rates, skyrocketing gas prices, and the rising cost of food.

Families who are stretching dollars to pay for rent, to get to the doctor, to keep the lights on.

Families for whom every penny counts.

I think of how these families must have felt when they learned that the aid on which they had relied to feed their children was suddenly going to be taken away.

I imagine they felt helpless.

It is in our power to feed these children.

The ``Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022'' would allow schools to feed children throughout the upcoming school year. This bill would extend free meals and snacks for children during the summer months, and it would provide enhanced supports to Child and Adult Care programs--all without disrupting the budget.

In the summer of 2020, hungry children were provided with more than 10 million meals via the federally supported Summer Meal Program.

195,000 children were fed.

195,000 children were given apples, sandwiches, yogurts, juice boxes.

They were given the opportunity to enjoy a summer free of hunger.

That is reason enough to act.

The ``Keep Kids Fed Act'' would also increase reimbursements to school nutrition programs for both breakfast and lunch meals.

American families are not the only ones struggling to put food on the table amidst the current economic crisis.

School nutrition professionals have expressed deep concern over the impacts that supply-chain issues and inflation have had on their ability to provide quality meals to their students.

With the end of pandemic-relief nutritional aid fast approaching, and the cost of labor rising, some schools could see their yearly budgets decrease by 40 percent this year.

School cafeterias cannot produce meals out of thin air.

They need our help.

The House Amendment to S. 2089 would increase the reimbursement rates for the 2022-2023 school year by an additional 15 cents per breakfast and 40 cents per lunch--money that our nation's schools desperately need.

This bill would not fix the inflation problem, lower the cost of gas, or unclog the supply chain. But it would put food on the plates of hungry children across America.

That is why I rise in support of the House Amendment to S. 2089, the ``Keep Kids Fed Act'' and urge my colleagues to do the same.