[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 107 (Thursday, June 23, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H5837-H5840]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                       KEEP KIDS FED ACT OF 2022

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (S. 2089) to amend title 38, United States Code, to 
ensure that grants provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for 
State veterans' cemeteries do not restrict States from authorizing the 
interment of certain deceased members of the reserve components of the 
Armed Forces in such cemeteries, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 2089

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022''.

     SEC. 2. SUPPORT FOR CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS.

       (a) In General.--
       (1) Temporary lunch reimbursement.--Each lunch served under 
     the school lunch program authorized under the Richard B. 
     Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) 
     shall receive an additional reimbursement in the amount of 40 
     cents.
       (2) Temporary breakfast reimbursement.--Each breakfast 
     served under the school breakfast program established by 
     section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773) 
     shall receive an additional reimbursement in the amount of 15 
     cents.
       (3) Limitation.--The additional reimbursement amounts 
     authorized under this subsection shall only be available for 
     the school year beginning July 2022.
       (4) Temporary guidelines.--Notwithstanding any provision of 
     the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 
     1751 et seq.) or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 
     1771 et seq.), for the school year beginning July 2022, the 
     income guidelines for determining eligibility for free lunch 
     under the school lunch program authorized under the Richard 
     B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) 
     and free breakfast under the school breakfast program 
     established by section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 
     (42 U.S.C. 1773) shall be 185 percent of the applicable 
     family size income levels contained in the nonfarm income 
     poverty guidelines prescribed by the Office of Management and 
     Budget, as adjusted annually in accordance with section 
     9(b)(1)(B) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(b)(1)(B)).
       (5) Appropriations.--
       (A) In general.--There is appropriated, out of any funds in 
     the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums as are 
     necessary to carry out this subsection.
       (B) Disbursement.--A State agency shall disburse funds made 
     available under subparagraph (A) to school food authorities 
     participating in the school meal programs described in 
     paragraphs (1) and (2).
       (b) Extension of Waivers.--Section 2202 of the Families 
     First Coronavirus Response Act (42 U.S.C. 1760 note; Public 
     Law 116-127) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)(1)--
       (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting 
     ``due to the COVID-19 pandemic'' after ``(42 U.S.C. 
     1760(l))'';
       (B) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon and inserting ``or''; and
       (C) by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(B) ensuring continuity of program operation under a 
     qualified program.'';
       (2) in subsection (d)--
       (A) by striking paragraph (2); and
       (B) by striking ``the following:'' in the matter preceding 
     paragraph (1) and all that follows through ``A summary'' in 
     paragraph (1) and inserting ``a summary''; and
       (3) by striking subsection (e) and inserting the following:
       ``(e) Sunset.--
       ``(1) Nationwide waivers.--The authority of the Secretary 
     to establish or grant a waiver under subsection (a) shall 
     expire on September 30, 2022.
       ``(2) Waiver restriction.--After June 30, 2022, a waiver 
     established or granted under subsection (a) shall only apply 
     to schools or summer food service program food service 
     sites--
       ``(A) operating--
       ``(i) the qualified program described in subsection 
     (f)(1)(D); or
       ``(ii) the option described in section 13(a)(8) of the 
     Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 
     1761(a)(8)); and
       ``(B) not operating the qualified program described in 
     subsection (f)(1)(A).
       ``(3) Other waivers.--
       ``(A) Child and adult care food program waiver.--The 
     authority of the Secretary to establish or grant a waiver 
     under subsection (b) shall expire on June 30, 2022.
       ``(B) Meal pattern waiver.--The authority of the Secretary 
     to establish or grant a waiver under subsection (c) shall 
     expire on June 30, 2023.
       ``(4) Limitations.--A waiver authorized by the Secretary 
     under this section shall not be in effect after the date on 
     which the authority of the Secretary to establish or grant 
     that waiver under this subsection expires.''.
       (c) Appropriation.--There are appropriated, out of any 
     funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums 
     as are necessary to provide waivers under section 2202(a) of 
     the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (42 U.S.C. 1760 
     note; Public Law 116-127) that apply--
       (1) only during the months of May through September in 
     2022; and
       (2) to--
       (A) the summer food service program for children under 
     section 13 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 1761); or
       (B) the option described in section 13(a)(8) of that Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 1761(a)(8)).
       (d) Nationwide Waiver for School Year 2022-2023.--
       (1) In general.--For purposes of school year 2022-2023, the 
     Secretary of Agriculture may establish waivers under section 
     12(l) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 
     U.S.C. 1760(l))--
       (A) on a nationwide basis; and
       (B) without regard to the requirements under paragraphs 
     (1), (2), and (3) of such section that a State or eligible 
     service provider shall submit an application for a waiver 
     request.
       (2) Sunset.--A nationwide waiver established by the 
     Secretary of Agriculture under section 12(l) of the Richard 
     B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1760(l)) 
     pursuant to paragraph (1) shall not be in effect after June 
     30, 2023.

     SEC. 3. CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--
       (1) Temporary additional reimbursement for 2022-2023 school 
     year.--Each meal and supplement served under the program 
     authorized by section 17 of the Richard B. Russell National 
     School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1766) shall receive additional 
     reimbursement in the amount of 10 cents.
       (2) Limitation.--The additional reimbursement amount 
     authorized under paragraph (1) shall only be available for 
     the school year beginning July 2022.
       (b) Tier Determinations for 2022-2023 School Year.--For the 
     school year beginning July 2022, a tier II family or group 
     day care home described in subsection (f)(3)(A)(iii) of 
     section 17 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 1766) shall be considered a tier I family or 
     group day care home for purposes of the program authorized 
     under that section.
       (c) Appropriations.--There are appropriated, out of any 
     funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums 
     as are necessary to carry out this section.

     SEC. 4. RESCISSIONS AND SUNSET.

       (a) Rescissions.--
       (1) USDA.--
       (A) Of the unobligated balances from amounts made available 
     to the Department of Agriculture in section 1001(a) of the 
     American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (7 U.S.C. 7501 note; Public 
     Law 117-2), $1,000,000,000 are hereby permanently rescinded.
       (B) Of the unobligated balances from amounts made available 
     to the Department of Agriculture in section 751 of division N 
     of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-
     260; 134 Stat. 2105), $400,000,000 are hereby permanently 
     rescinded.
       (2) Department of education.--Of the unobligated balances 
     from amounts made available to the Department of Education in 
     section 2003 of title II of the American Rescue Plan Act of 
     2021 (Public Law 117-2; 135 Stat. 23) and allocated to 
     institutions of higher education as defined in section 102(b) 
     of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(b)), 
     $400,000,000 are hereby permanently rescinded.
       (3) SBA.--Of the unobligated balances from amounts made 
     available to the Small Business Administration in section 
     5005 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-
     2; 135 Stat. 91) and in section 323(d)(1)(H) of division N of 
     the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-
     260; 134 Stat. 2021) to carry out section 324 of such 
     division of such Act (15 U.S.C. 9009a), $1,500,000,000 are 
     hereby permanently rescinded.
       (b) Additional Rescission.--Of the unobligated balances 
     from amounts made available to the Department of Agriculture 
     under the heading ``Agricultural Programs--Office of the 
     Secretary'' in title I of division B of the Coronavirus Aid, 
     Relief, and Economic Security Act (Public Law 116-136; 134 
     Stat. 505), $600,000,000 are hereby permanently rescinded.
       (c) Sunset.--Section 756 of division N of the Consolidated 
     Appropriations Act, 2021 (7 U.S.C. 2254c), is amended by 
     striking ``for fiscal year'' and all that follows through 
     ``thereafter'' and inserting ``for each of fiscal years 2021 
     and 2022''.

     SEC. 5. OPERATIONALLY READY.

       The Secretary of Agriculture shall ensure that technical 
     assistance is made available to States and school food 
     authorities for purposes of assisting parents and school 
     leaders with respect to the transition of operating school 
     meal programs not pursuant to a waiver under section 2(d) or 
     section 2202 of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 1760 note; Public Law 116-127).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Scott) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Steel) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that

[[Page H5838]]

all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 2089.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, S. 2089 was amended to replace the language of that 
bill with the language of H.R. 8150, the bipartisan and bicameral Keep 
Kids Fed Act of 2022, in order to send the bill to the Senate for 
expedited passage.
  Roughly 2 years ago, our communities experienced an unprecedented 
surge in child hunger, spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. Just weeks 
into the pandemic, more than one of every three households with 
children, and nearly half of all mothers with young children, struggled 
with food insecurity.
  In response, Congress took decisive action to ensure that child 
nutrition programs, our best tools for addressing child hunger, could 
continue feeding hungry children during the pandemic.
  One of the most important steps we took was providing child nutrition 
programs with the flexibility they needed to expand access to school 
meals and address the challenges of serving students who are not 
physically in the school buildings.
  This relief made a measurable difference in our fight against child 
hunger. By expanding access to child nutrition programs, we allowed an 
additional 10 million students to receive free school meals each day. 
From January 2021 to April 2021, food shortages among households with 
children fell by more than 40 percent.
  Regrettably, unless Congress acts, these key flexibilities would 
expire at the end of this month.
  The bipartisan and bicameral Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022 is likely our 
best and last opportunity to preserve relief for child nutrition 
programs. This legislation would:
  Maintain school meal flexibilities that do not increase costs;
  Continue flexibilities to support summer food programs this year;
  Provide additional support for child and adult care feeding programs; 
and
  Increase school meal reimbursement rates for this upcoming school 
year.
  As we continue to recover from the pandemic, the Keep Kids Fed Act of 
2022 would take a critical step to support child nutrition programs and 
prevent children from going hungry during the ongoing public health 
emergency. This is a step well worth taking.
  I thank the ranking member of the full committee, Dr. Foxx, and 
Senators Stabenow and Boozman for working with me on this legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the bill, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mrs. STEEL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I am pleased to support this bipartisan legislation 
that will help ensure students receive healthy school meals. Students 
need access to nutritious meals so that they can be their best, both in 
and out of the classroom. Today's bipartisan legislation does just 
that.
  During pandemic lockdowns, school food programs were critical to 
those in need. These programs play an important role in non-pandemic 
times, too.
  It is important that we ensure this program is sustainable for 
schools, and that means responsible oversight and a return to regular 
order.
  We want to make sure that students who rely on school meals have 
access to them and that schools can continue to supply them, even in 
the face of skyrocketing, record-high inflation.
  As our constituents know, the price of just about everything has 
increased. The average family is spending $450 more per month. Eggs are 
up 32 percent, milk is up 16 percent, and bacon is up 15 percent. Our 
school meals programs are no exception to these rising costs.
  This measure will help schools cope with rising food prices by 
temporarily providing supplemental reimbursements as these programs 
transition back to normal operations.
  I do think it is very important to emphasize that these increases are 
temporary and will last 1 year.
  I appreciate the Democrats and the Senate for working with us to 
ensure these are temporary, supplemental funds to address inflation 
specifically. They are not an arbitrary increase in spending. Using the 
inflation crisis or the supply chain problem to increase Federal 
spending permanently would be especially unwise and irresponsible.
  I also am glad the legislation requires USDA to provide school 
leaders and parents with support and guidance as the program 
transitions to normal operations.
  It is Congress' job to ensure these programs are working as 
efficiently and effectively as possible. It is our duty to make sure 
these programs are fulfilling their intended purpose, which is to help 
students.
  I am happy to see this legislation put these school nutrition 
programs back on the right track.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. Omar), a distinguished member of the 
Committee on Education and Labor and a leading advocate to reduce and 
eliminate child hunger.

                              {time}  1230

  Ms. OMAR. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for his leadership on 
this legislation and for working tirelessly to negotiate a solution.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my support for the Keep Kids 
Fed Act. As food costs continue to soar, this critical legislation is a 
lifeline for millions of American families struggling to make ends 
meet.
  In my home State of Minnesota, one in nine children are food 
insecure. This bipartisan legislation builds on my bill, the MEALS Act, 
to ensure children continue to receive school meals this summer. I am 
proud to have been part of this fight.
  While I wish this agreement could have provided a permanent solution, 
this is a vital step to prevent millions of children from going hungry 
throughout the next few months. In the meantime, I will continue to 
fight for the passage of my bill, the Universal School Meals Program 
Act, to ensure that no child in the richest country in the world goes 
hungry.
  Mrs. STEEL. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Adams), a member of the Committee 
on Education and Labor and chair of the Subcommittee on Workforce 
Protections.
  Ms. ADAMS. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise 
today for the millions of children who will go hungry next week if 
Congress does not extend child nutrition waivers.
  No student or child should ever go hungry in our country. At the 
start of the pandemic, Congress authorized waivers to help make it 
easier for schools to deliver meals to kids, and we gave 10 million 
more children access to healthy food.
  Given the reality of higher prices at the grocery store, children and 
their families can't afford to lose the free, nutritious meals 
available at schools across the country. As a 40-year educator, I know 
hunger has been a crisis in our schools and our communities since long 
before the pandemic.
  Madam Speaker, one in seven households today has a child struggling 
with food insecurity. In my home State of North Carolina, food 
insecurity has been a tragic fact of life for our kids and our 
students.
  Before the pandemic, in North Carolina, 92,000 students were 
participating in the Summer Food Service Program, and 441,000 children 
were receiving SNAP assistance.
  These numbers have only gone up. Our choice is clear: We can choose 
to act, or we can let millions of children go hungry.
  Madam Speaker, as always, I am standing with our students, and I urge 
all of my colleagues to support S. 2089, as amended.
  Mrs. STEEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Ms. Foxx), Republican leader of the Committee on 
Education and Labor.
  Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding time.
  Madam Speaker, evidence is clear that students are able to focus more 
at

[[Page H5839]]

school if they are receiving adequate nutrition. Too many students are 
still suffering from the harmful effects of school closures, and we 
cannot afford to let students fall further behind.
  The rise in food prices is putting most Americans in a tight spot. 
The same is true for schools. The bipartisan Keep Kids Fed Act will 
empower schools to meet the crises our country is facing, from supply 
chain problems to record-high inflation.
  It is, however, extremely important to emphasize that the support 
provided in this legislation is both targeted and temporary, as all aid 
should be. We also worked hard to ensure that this legislation was 
budget-neutral so it does not put additional burden on taxpayers. 
Importantly, this legislation will return our Nation's school meal 
programs to regular order. This is the primary reason I support this 
legislation.
  For over 2 years, Democrats used a permanent pandemic narrative to 
increase Federal spending across the board, including within school 
meal programs. This has fueled inflation. This is not only 
irresponsible but ignores the narrow limits Congress purposefully 
placed on these programs.
  Congress never intended to provide universal free breakfasts and 
lunches to all K-12 students regardless of need. By returning these 
programs back to normal, we can uphold our responsibility to taxpayers 
and the principle that aid should be targeted and temporary.
  The Keep Kids Fed Act offers a viable solution to the problems facing 
school meal programs while also refocusing these programs on their 
purpose: helping students in need.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Mrvan), the distinguished member of the 
Committee on Education and Labor.
  Mr. MRVAN. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Keep Kids Fed Act, 
which will aim to ensure our communities, schools, and daycares can 
provide healthy meals to children this summer.
  At a time when parents are struggling to put food on the table and 
prices at the grocery store are at an all-time high, I am grateful for 
this bicameral, bipartisan effort to address food insecurity.
  Throughout my career, I have focused on making sure to stay in touch. 
I had the opportunity to sit with over 60 nutritionists for the school 
lunch programs, who had a sense of urgency and concern not about their 
jobs, but about the rising costs and their ability to make sure that 
young people, K-12, are able to have the meals in a dignified matter, 
to be able to be educated and overcome obstacles, and to make sure that 
they were fed and ready for class.
  That being said, today, I thank Chairman Scott and all my colleagues 
for their example to solve this immediate and pressing challenge, and I 
look forward to continuing to work with all of my colleagues to ensure 
that we create the ideal environments that allow all students to learn 
and thrive.
  Mrs. STEEL. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I include in the Record two letters from No Kid Hungry 
and the Food Research and Action Center, better known as FRAC.

                       [From Share Our Strength]

 Share Our Strength's Lisa Davis on the Introduction of the `Keep Kids 
               Fed' Act To Extend Child Nutrition Waivers

       Washington, DC.--This afternoon, leadership from the Senate 
     Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry and the 
     House Committee on Education and Labor announced an agreement 
     to extend nationwide child nutrition waivers, which are set 
     to expire on June 30. The Keep Kids Fed Act would extend some 
     of these waivers through the 2022-2023 school year and 
     provide school nutrition programs with additional funding to 
     help address food price inflation and supply chain 
     challenges. The following is a statement from No Kid Hungry 
     Senior Vice President Lisa Davis:
       ``We are grateful that a deal has come together to help 
     address the immense challenges facing schools and community 
     organizations working tirelessly to feed kids this summer and 
     during the school year. This issue couldn't be more urgent 
     with waivers expiring in nine days and summer meals programs 
     already up and running.
       ``Time is of the essence, especially for those operating 
     summer meals sites without the certainty and flexibility of 
     the waivers who will face difficulties turning on a dime. We 
     know these waivers are needed and that they work. The reach 
     of the summer meals program increased dramatically with them, 
     doubling in 2021 and even tripling in 2020.
       ``While these waivers don't solve supply chain issues, 
     lower the rising cost of food and gas, or solve our nation's 
     inflation problem, they do help soften their impact on 
     schools and community organizations and, ultimately, keep 
     kids fed and nourished.
       ``As we know with legislation like this, there can be miles 
     to go before it gets across the finish line. We urge Congress 
     to move quickly on the Keep Kids Fed Act before nationwide 
     child nutrition waivers expire on June 30.''
                                  ____


  [From Luis Guardia, president, Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)]

Hungry Children Can't Wait: Congress Must Act Quickly To Pass Critical 
                              Legislation

       Washington, June 21, 2022.--FRAC commends the bi-partisan 
     legislation introduced today by Senate Agriculture Chairwoman 
     Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Ranking Member John Boozman (R-AR) 
     and House Education and Labor Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) and 
     Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (R-NC), to help support 
     children, families, schools, and child care providers as they 
     struggle to recover from the fallout of the pandemic. 
     Provisions in the Keep Kids Fed Act would increase 
     reimbursements to schools and child care, support access to 
     summer meals by extending the summer waivers, allow children 
     eligible for reduced-price school meals to receive free 
     school meals, and streamline access to healthy meals for 
     children in family child care.
       We and our network of anti-hunger advocates all across the 
     country call on Congress to pass this legislation immediately 
     as time is running out. The child nutrition waivers that have 
     been available since the onset of the pandemic are set to 
     expire on June 30. This legislation would help mitigate the 
     impact of the loss of the waivers and also would be critical 
     to supporting children's access to summer meals and meals at 
     childcare. The provisions in the legislation are only 
     temporary and do not go as far as we would like, but they are 
     a critical first step to help shield some of the impact of 
     inflation, supply chain disruptions, and labor shortages.
       Still, more must be done. FRAC looks forward to working 
     with Congress to make much-needed, long-term improvements to 
     the child nutrition programs to more fully address our 
     nation's hunger crisis.
       Hungry children can't wait.

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. STEEL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Madam Speaker, the Keep Kids Fed Act is a bipartisan, budget-neutral 
bill that supports students and protects taxpayers. This bill will 
return our school nutrition programs back to normal, pre-pandemic 
operations. I appreciate the majority working with us to ensure this is 
a true transition back to regular operation, which is fully paid for 
and includes a requirement to support parents and school leaders.
  This legislation will also support schools dealing with the supply 
chain and inflation crisis. This allows our Nation's schools to focus 
on delivering healthy meals for students so they can focus on being 
successful in the classroom. I am pleased we were able to come to a 
bicameral and bipartisan solution, and I urge my colleagues to vote for 
the Keep Kids Fed Act.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of 
my time.
  Madam Speaker, as I said at the beginning of the debate, the 
legislation before us is likely our last and best opportunity to 
protect millions of students' access to nutrition programs, which have 
been critical to feeding hungry children during the pandemic.
  The simple reality is that schools, children, and families are still 
dealing with the impacts of COVID-19. As school meal programs continue 
to endure supply chain disruptions, inflation, and other challenges, 
the Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022 would provide school meal programs that 
are urgently needed for stability and will help continue providing 
students with nutritious meals that they need.
  We know this bill alone will not end all hunger in America, but it 
will be an important step to stand up for our Nation's children and 
fulfill our basic responsibility to keep them from going hungry.
  Again, I thank the ranking member of the committee, Dr. Foxx, and I 
thank the gentlewoman from California, Mrs. Steel, for helping to bring

[[Page H5840]]

this bipartisan, bicameral legislation to the floor. I also thank 
Senators Stabenow and Boozman for their work in bringing this 
legislation to reality.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support S. 2089, as amended, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Keep Kids Fed 
Act, which provides vital funding to ensure our children are fed 
healthy meals over these next few summer months--and that schools and 
daycares are supported throughout the school year.
  As one of the wealthiest nations in the world, no child should go 
hungry. Yet far too many children struggle with hunger in this country. 
This is a tragedy. For more than 22 million children who rely on school 
breakfast and lunch programs, summer vacation means worrying about when 
they will eat next.
  We all know that hunger can have lifelong consequences for children--
making it more difficult to learn . . . play . . . and connect with 
kids their age. Kids who go hungry during summer often start school 
behind, which can lead to serious health concerns like developmental 
delays . . . chronic illness . . . and mental health issues. They are 
at higher risk for anemia, asthma, diabetes--and more likely to 
experience anxiety and depression.
  So, I am pleased that we have reached a bipartisan agreement on 
extending school meal waivers until the summer's end and continues to 
support schools and daycares throughout the year. These child nutrition 
waivers are a lifeline to schools, children, and hardworking families 
across the country.
  During the pandemic, school meals were a lifeline to students--
providing them with healthy meals whether they were attending school in 
person or virtually. They have been a critical component of our 
nation's response to this pandemic. But schools continue to face a 
variety of challenges, including supply chain disruptions, labor 
shortages, serving meals safely, and rising food prices. Waivers have 
been vital this school year to support school nutrition. And extending 
the waivers is the path forward to ensure all children have access to 
nutritious school meals over the summer months that they need to learn 
and thrive.
  As I have said from the start--failure is not an option. And we need 
to get a deal across the finish line. It is our responsibility to 
ensure that our children do not go hungry. School meal waivers have 
given stability to hundreds of children who prior to this program, 
likely did not know where their next meal was coming from.
  I am disappointed that House Republicans insisted on an offset. We 
need to feed children in this country--and that should never be up for 
debate.
  With that, I am proud of this bill and the impact I know it will 
have--providing school workers . . . parents . . . and caregivers with 
the security of knowing that the children they care for will be fed 
through the summer.
  So, I am voting in favor of this critical legislation--and I urge my 
colleagues to do the same.
  Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of 
the Keep Kids Fed Act.
  I want to thank Chairman Scott for his steadfast leadership and 
determination to work to get something worked out to help ensure that 
our school meals are available to as many of our students as possible.
  The school meals provisions were an effective response by this 
Congress to the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools, children and families were 
disrupted as this deadly disease raced through our country. Congress 
acted to make sure that we provided flexibility to ensure that no child 
would miss a meal that they would otherwise have received in school.
  Why is that important? Because Congress has long recognized that 
hunger and learning do not mix well, if at all. This isn't some 
theoretical or academic debate. I know what its like to be hungry and 
in school. And I am saddened that decades after I went through that 
experience as a student, many other children still must deal with that 
reality each and every school day.
  Food is not a luxury. So hearing that the USDA COVID waivers that had 
allowed millions of kids to stay nourished were expiring was an 
emergency for me. And I know the Chairman shares that sentiment.
  Frankly, it has been hard to sleep thinking of what happens in 
communities like Milwaukee when families find this lifeline cut off 
arbitrarily even while the pandemic that spawned these provisions, 
continues.
  The reality is that hunger and food insecurity did not take a break 
during this pandemic. In fact, reports indicate it got worse. Hunger 
doesn't take a summer vacation even though our schools do.
  It shouldn't have taken all of this to get us to agree on this: Feed 
our kids so they can concentrate on learning and being kids. These 
waivers have done a great deal to help us achieve that and I hope we 
can continue to work to ensure that we can take the great lessons 
learned about how to effectively reach and nourish school children 
during this pandemic and use them to put in place permanent provisions 
that will ensure that all of our children can go to school and focus on 
their education
  That includes taking up and passing bills like the Universal School 
Meals Program Act which I have joined with Rep. Omar in introducing 
that would provide the most cost-effective and inclusive model for 
ensuring all students have access to nutritious meals during the school 
day without facing barriers such as stigma or burdensome paperwork.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I am proud to rise in strong support 
of the House Amendment to S. 2089, the ``Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022.''
  Today's bill is a matter of urgency.
  If Congress does not act now to pass this emergency legislation, 
millions of children will spend their summer hungry. Millions of 
children may be forced to spend their school days not learning and 
growing but feeling the pangs of empty stomachs.
  Hungry children cannot focus their attention on their studies and 
learning. They simply cannot thrive while trying to survive.
  Free and reduced breakfast and lunch waivers are lifelines for 
families across the nation.
  I think of the struggling families in my district who have battled 
against the COVID-19 pandemic for the past two years.
  Families who now face record high inflation rates, skyrocketing gas 
prices, and the rising cost of food.
  Families who are stretching dollars to pay for rent, to get to the 
doctor, to keep the lights on.
  Families for whom every penny counts.
  I think of how these families must have felt when they learned that 
the aid on which they had relied to feed their children was suddenly 
going to be taken away.
  I imagine they felt helpless.
  It is in our power to feed these children.
  The ``Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022'' would allow schools to feed 
children throughout the upcoming school year. This bill would extend 
free meals and snacks for children during the summer months, and it 
would provide enhanced supports to Child and Adult Care programs--all 
without disrupting the budget.
  In the summer of 2020, hungry children were provided with more than 
10 million meals via the federally supported Summer Meal Program.
  195,000 children were fed.
  195,000 children were given apples, sandwiches, yogurts, juice boxes.
  They were given the opportunity to enjoy a summer free of hunger.
  That is reason enough to act.
  The ``Keep Kids Fed Act'' would also increase reimbursements to 
school nutrition programs for both breakfast and lunch meals.
  American families are not the only ones struggling to put food on the 
table amidst the current economic crisis.
  School nutrition professionals have expressed deep concern over the 
impacts that supply-chain issues and inflation have had on their 
ability to provide quality meals to their students.
  With the end of pandemic-relief nutritional aid fast approaching, and 
the cost of labor rising, some schools could see their yearly budgets 
decrease by 40 percent this year.
  School cafeterias cannot produce meals out of thin air.
  They need our help.
  The House Amendment to S. 2089 would increase the reimbursement rates 
for the 2022-2023 school year by an additional 15 cents per breakfast 
and 40 cents per lunch--money that our nation's schools desperately 
need.
  This bill would not fix the inflation problem, lower the cost of gas, 
or unclog the supply chain. But it would put food on the plates of 
hungry children across America.
  That is why I rise in support of the House Amendment to S. 2089, the 
``Keep Kids Fed Act'' and urge my colleagues to do the same.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, S. 2089, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

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