Following Midterm Elections, Hunger Must Transcend Politics for Federal and State Leaders

November 9, 2022

The leading anti-hunger advocacy organization MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger issued the following statement today about the 2022 midterm election results nationwide:

“Last night, America voted in one of the highest turnout midterm elections ever. As we still wait for many votes to be counted, the reality remains that millions of Americans cannot reliably put food on the table. Hunger remains a defining challenge for the United States, and it must not be a partisan issue. Americans from all walks of life, in every state and congressional district, confront the realities of hunger on a daily basis. It is unacceptable that more than 13 million households — over 10 percent of Americans — struggle with food insecurity, and our nation’s leaders must end this travesty once and for all,” said MAZON’s President & CEO Abby J. Leibman.

“All Members of Congress — those who are newly elected and those returning to Congress — must commit to strengthening our federal nutrition assistance programs, including SNAP, so that they become more accessible to more people. Governors and state-based leaders play a critical role administering federal nutrition programs, and they must act swiftly to ensure support reaches all of those in need. Charity alone cannot solve hunger: only our government has the resources to ensure all people can feed their families with dignity. Now that the election is over, and as we look ahead to negotiations for the 2023 Farm Bill, MAZON is more committed than ever to holding our leaders accountable to ensure that so many overlooked Americans — including single mothers, military families, veterans, Native Americans, LGBTQ seniors, and the people of Puerto Rico — have enough nutritious food to eat every day.”