Statement attributed to Kate Leone, Chief Government Relations Officer
“Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, applauds the news that President Biden is expected to sign an executive order that will provide much-needed federal food assistance to families struggling to afford enough to eat. President Biden’s first direct action to address the nation’s hunger surge will include an immediate boost to benefits in the Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) program — a program that provides families with money to replace meals that millions of children lost access to at the onset of the pandemic due to school and childcare closures. The boost will provide additional critical resources to keep our children nourished and healthy.
“The executive order also takes two steps that will bolster the power of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), our nation’s first line of defense against hunger. Last spring, states were provided the flexibility to provide extra, emergency SNAP food benefits to our neighbors in need in the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act. Unfortunately, the law was interpreted to exclude nearly 40 percent of SNAP households with the lowest incomes who already received the maximum benefit. We applaud the Biden Administration for reviewing their authority to provide a pathway to allow states to increase SNAP benefits delivered through emergency allotments. Additionally, the executive order will begin the work of revising the Thrifty Food Plan — the basis for determining SNAP benefits — to better factor in the economic realities that families in need must navigate today when accessing their next meal. These two new measures in the executive order will strengthen the impact of SNAP, a program that provides nine meals for every one meal the Feeding America network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs provide. These measures will take time to implement, making it even more important to include immediate investments in food assistance in upcoming legislation and through food purchases to ensure that the food bank network can continue to help put food on the table for families in need.
“On January 18, Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, President Biden participated in a food packing event hosted by Feeding America network member, Philabundance, marking the president’s commitment to making addressing hunger a top priority for his Administration. We are heartened by the president’s quick first steps to making that commitment a reality. The pandemic and economic downturn have made it harder to ensure families have enough to eat. We look forward to continuing to work with the Biden Administration to address the hunger crisis in the United States.”
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About Feeding America
Feeding America is committed to an America where no one is hungry. We support tens of millions of people who experience food insecurity to get the food and resources they say they need to thrive as part of a nationwide network of food banks, statewide food bank associations, food pantries and meal programs. We also invest in innovative solutions to increase equitable access to nutritious food, advocate for legislation that improves food security and work to address factors that impact food security, such as health, cost of living and employment. We partner with people experiencing food insecurity, policymakers, organizations, and supporters, united with them in a movement to end hunger. Visit FeedingAmerica.org to learn more.