Congress Once Again Fails to Address Millions of Americans Facing Hunger

Liza Lieberman

April 21, 2020

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WASHINGTON, DC (April 21, 2020) — Despite skyrocketing food insecurity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress has once again failed to address the urgent needs of the 60 million Americans facing hunger in the newest stimulus bill.

Congress is advancing a bill that does not even mention SNAP, let alone make it more accessible to millions of Americans who are struggling to put food on the table. In response, Abby J. Leibman, President & CEO of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, said:

“This is appalling and unacceptable. Congress has — once again — denied support for the growing numbers of Americans who face food insecurity in the wake of COVID-19. We are facing an urgent crisis, and our policymakers are continuing to look the other way. Increasing SNAP will not only help millions of Americans who are struggling to put food on the table — it will stimulate the economy and contribute to a faster national recovery. SNAP is and always has been our country’s frontline defense against hunger.

This moment requires all of us to work together to ensure that food insecure Americans are not just another casualty statistic. Congress must take immediate action to ensure that SNAP is available for all those who need it, now more than ever.”

Earlier this week, Leibman was featured in The New York Times imploring Congress to prioritize SNAP as quickly as possible. She wrote that “there is no question that food banks and pantries are on the front lines to deliver what they can to those who are facing food insecurity because of the virus. There is also no doubt that they alone cannot meet the ongoing needs of those who are struggling, regardless of how much food is donated and distributed by hardworking staff and volunteers.”

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States will be allowed to opt out of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program if state officials decide they cannot or will not pay the increased cost share under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), Democratic members of the House Agriculture Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee repeatedly pointed out at a hearing today. The three witnesses all agreed. Read more.

Partnering with MAZON: Fighting Hunger and Nourishing the Jewish Soul (TC Jewfolk)

TC Jewfolk is proud to partner with MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger – a national organization inspired by Jewish values – to fight to end hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds in the United States and Israel.

“We need committed advocates who do the work to move legislation aimed at ending hunger forward, as well as to fight harmful policies that would erode the safety net that enables so many people to put food on the table,” Haviv explained. “That work must happen at every level, and we are committed to a strong effort in statehouses nationwide.” Read more.