[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 116 (Thursday, July 11, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H5593-H5594]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                PROVIDING SUPPORT TO CHILDREN IN POVERTY

  (Mr. MORELLE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, my district in Rochester, New York, has the 
second-highest rate of childhood poverty in America.
  Children in poverty face overwhelming barriers to academic success 
because it is impossible for them to learn when they are hungry or 
suffering from family trauma. These barriers are exacerbated in the 
summer when children lose access to educational opportunities, causing 
them to fall further and further behind academically.
  Low-income children lose 2 or more months of reading achievement 
every

[[Page H5594]]

summer. By the fifth grade, children without summer learning 
opportunities are 2 years behind their peers.
  Students need a safe, stable place to learn over the summer. That is 
why I am so proud to have introduced legislation to help close the 
achievement gap and reduce food insecurity.
  The Summer Meals and Learning Act will help fund summer reading 
programs at schools that already serve as summer meal sites, providing 
the support and stability at-risk youth need to grow and thrive. Every 
child deserves the opportunity to achieve their goals. It is my hope 
that this legislation will help students stay on the path to success.

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