As a parent, I know how important it is for kids to have healthy food. Really, it is a no-brainer that kids shouldn’t have to go hungry, right? Not according to the U.S. House of Representatives Education and Workforce Committee. Their draft of a bill to reauthorize the children’s nutrition programs is woefully inadequate to meet the needs of hungry children in our communities.

I am asking you to take action — not just because I’m a parent, but because I care about all the children in our Commonwealth and know that they have no control over access to food.

Anti-hunger programs for kids are typically renewed every five years by Congress, and include many of the programs you probably already know — like school breakfast and lunch programs at reduced or no cost and WIC — and some that you might not know, like programs providing meals to kids outside of school hours who might otherwise go hungry.

The U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee’s reauthorization bill includes additional provisions for children like expanding WIC to include children up to age 6 who have not yet enrolled in Kindergarten and expanding a pilot program that provides families with nutrition assistance to ease the cost of feeding children during summer months when school is not in session.

U.S. Representatives Bobby Scott and Dave Brat both sit on the House Education and Workforce Committee and they will be reviewing this legislation again soon. We need to contact all Representatives from Virginia and let them know that we support improvements to these vital programs.

Will you call or email your Representative (contact info listed below, click on name to be taken to email form) and tell her or him that we need to expand food access for kids, not reduce food security for those most in need?

Not only did the committee fail to improve anti-hunger programs for kids, their version also rolls back the progress made in ensuring that children don’t go hungry. Their bill would weaken something called the “Community Eligibility Provision” which increases school lunch and breakfast access in high-poverty schools.

This is unacceptable – please call or email your Representative today! Click here to find out who represents you!

Representative Rob Wittman
202-225-4261

Representative Scott Rigell
202-225-4215

Representative Bobby Scott
202-225-8351

Representative Randy Forbes
202-225-6365

Representative Robert Hurt
202-225-4711

Representative Bob Goodlatte
202-225-5431

Representative David Brat
202-225-2815

Representative Don Beyer
202-225-4376

Representative Morgan Griffith
202-225-3861

Representative Barbara Comstock
202-225-5136

Representative Gerry Connolly
202-225-1492