Hunger
Millions of Americans continue to struggle with hunger, diet-related diseases, and lack of access to affordable, nutritious food. The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated this crisis and brought to light the urgency of addressing the gaps and vulnerabilities in our country's food security and nutrition programs. We urgently need to develop comprehensive solutions to transform the U.S. food policy agenda and finally end hunger.
I accessed food assistance when I was a college student; without it, I would not have had enough to eat. No one should feel stigmatized for receiving free and reduced school lunch or SNAP benefits when they need help. As a leader on the Education and Labor Committee and member of the Congressional Hunger Caucus, I have long been committed to finding solutions to end hunger, improve access to nutritious foods, and strengthen our nation's food system. We need a comprehensive approach to address this problem. We must pass laws based on effective and equitable policies to bolster food security, enhance nutrition education, and invest in expanding healthy food production and accessibility.
Read the report I created for the 2022 White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health based on the experiences of Oregonians. It highlights the work I'm doing in Congress to end hunger, including details about legislation I am leading to update federal child nutrition programs and more.
Watch the virtual roundtable discussion on hunger I hosted with Oregon's leading hunger and nutrition advocates. Our discussion included people who have experienced hunger and food insecurity as well as representatives from regional food banks and pantries, nutrition services, community-based organizations and community action agencies, farmers' markets, school food authorities, and institutions of higher education.