U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and more than 30 of their Democratic Senate colleagues are pushing to extend child nutrition waivers ahead of their expiration and enact a robust set of child nutrition priorities in any upcoming legislative vehicles.

As school summer break is already underway in many states, it is vital that Congress extends and expands these programs as low-income families are facing a steep benefits cliff when the waivers expire June 30.

In a letter to Senate and House Leadership, Senators Heinrich and Luján call to extend child nutrition waivers, create a nationwide summer EBT program, and expand community eligibility (CEP), a flexible meal service option for school districts in low-income areas.

These provisions are critical to fighting child hunger and food insecurity.

“The pandemic has highlighted the importance of the child nutrition programs and the role they play in keeping hunger at bay for millions of children across the country. As schools close for summer across the country, families will soon lose access to free school meals and be faced with the prospect of increased food insecurity, weight gain, and learning disruptions,” the senators wrote. “As Congress develops legislation to support families impacted by high food costs, we must help ease the burden of these challenges and ensure that these child nutrition programs can fully meet children’s nutritional needs while they are at school, afterschool and summer programs, and childcare.”

Senators Heinrich and Luján are cosponsors of the Support Kids Not Red Tape Act that extends U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) school meal flexibilities from June 30, 2022 to September 30, 2023.

In March, Heinrich led a letter along with Luján and 28 other Senate Democrats to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to pass legislation providing USDA authority to issue all necessary waivers and flexibilities for schools and program operators to ensure that federal child nutrition programs can continue providing healthy snacks and meals to students.

Senators Heinrich and Luján also are cosponsors of the Universal School Meals Act, which would permanently provide free breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack to all school children regardless of income, eliminate school meal debt, and strengthen local economies by incentivizing local food procurement

Today’s letter, led by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), was also signed by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Bob Casey (D-Penn.), Angus King (I-Maine), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jeffrey Merkley (D-Ore.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).

This letter is endorsed by Food Research & Action Center, YMCA of the USA, Afterschool Alliance, Boys & Girls Club of America, Feeding America, School Nutrition Association, American Heart Association, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, First Focus Campaign for Children, MomsRising, Center for Science in the Public Interest, National Parent Teacher Association, National Farm to School Network, School Superintendents Association, Save the Children, National Education Association, National Center for Health Research, Healthy Food America, Food Corps, Community Food Advocates, National CACFP Association, Society of Behavioral Medicine, Center for Food Equity & Economic Development, California Association of Food Banks, Healthy Schools Campaign, Voices for Georgia’s Children, and Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network.