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Harder Slams USDA Proposal to Take School Lunches from Poor Children

July 23, 2019

Estimated 265,000 Kids Could Lose Access to School Lunch, Millions More Could Lose SNAP Access

Sixty-Three Percent of Students in Harder's District Qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch

WASHINGTON – Representative Josh Harder (CA-10) slammed a new proposal from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which would take school lunches away from an estimated 265,000 American children living in poverty, making it harder for kids to get access to nutrition while in school. Rep. Harder is part of a joint effort with other members of the House Committee on Agriculture to express grave concern about the proposal.

"I don't know what genius came up with the idea to take school lunches away from our kids, but we can't let this happen," said Rep. Harder. "Literally thousands of children in the Central Valley rely on the school lunch program just to get something to eat – this garbage proposal would rob them of the nutrition they need to stay healthy and get a good education. It's common sense – well-nourished kids are able to focus on the stuff that matters in school, including learning and preparing for a better future. This proposal is a complete disaster."

The USDA's new proposal would eliminate a rule that allows people living in poverty to automatically qualify for the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) program if they are eligible for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The change would leave an estimated 3.1 million people throughout the country without SNAP, including 265,000 children who receive school lunches because of their participation in SNAP. The public has sixty days to provide comments on the proposal beginning on Wednesday, July 24th.