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Shining Light on Farm & Food Policy for 20 Years.
Friday, December 20, 2024
Some 13.5% of U.S. households had trouble getting enough food in 2023, as food insecurity among Americans jumped once again to just under the highest rate USDA has recorded in its annual surveys.
The Senate Agriculture Committee holds a long-awaited hearing this week on two more USDA nominees, including department’s undersecretary for trade, as Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack struggles to fill out his team 21 months into the administration.
House Democrats advanced bills that would expand child nutrition assistance and require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue rules for protecting workers from excessive heat.
President Joe Biden’s nominee as chief agricultural trade negotiator, Doug McKalip, gets a Senate confirmation hearing this week, and House Democrats will advance a child nutrition reauthorization bill that would expand eligibility for free lunches and increase meal subsidies for schools.
Some $90 billion in agriculture and child nutrition spending that’s part of the stalled Build Back Better bill is in play as the White House and congressional Democrats disassemble the $1.7 trillion measure and possibly move some of the funding into other legislation.
In this opinion piece, Rachael Ray with Yum-o! and Curt Ellis with FoodCorps say that Congress must pass the Build Back Better Act, including its robust provisions for school meals.
House Democrats are proposing a $35 billion expansion of child feeding assistance as part of their massive tax and spending package, and a lawmaker announced Wednesday that the measure also would include $1 billion in biofuel aid.
Senate Republicans are joining school food service directors in pushing for relief from federal nutrition standards as Congress reauthorizes school meal programs.
Congressional Democrats will use this week to build their case for two major priorities, a multi-trillion dollar climate and infrastructure package, and a child nutrition reauthorization bill that could be used to increase the number of kids getting free meals.
A Trump administration plan to reduce the amount of fruit and some vegetables such as carrots that schools must serve to kids has alarmed nutrition advocates, many lawmakers and two former agriculture secretaries.
