[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 107 (Thursday, June 23, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S3137]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       KEEP KIDS FED ACT OF 2022

  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that 
notwithstanding rule XXII, the Chair lay before the Senate the message 
from the House of Representatives to accompany S. 2089; that the motion 
to concur in the House amendment to S. 2089 with amendment No. 5133 be 
considered made and agreed to; the title amendment from the House be 
considered and agreed to; and the motion to reconsider be considered 
made and laid upon the table, all without intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Presiding Officer laid before the Senate the following message 
from the House of Representatives:

       Resolved, That the bill from the Senate (S. 2089) entitled 
     ``An Act 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.'', do pass with amendments.

  The motion was agreed to.
  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I want to thank my colleagues for 
supporting this effort in this legislation which we have dubbed ``Keep 
Kids Fed,'' because that is exactly what we are going to be able to do, 
to help our schools and churches and local providers provide meals for 
children this summer and help for the school year.
  I want to thank my colleague and partner--true partner in this--
Senator Boozman for all of his efforts.
  We know we are getting back to normal, but we are not there yet, and 
the folks who run our schools and summer meal programs need extra 
support through this coming year. And that is what we are doing right 
now.
  So we just passed something fully paid for that will ensure that 
millions of children don't go hungry this summer and next school year, 
and I would just finally say this: You know, keeping kids fed is 
nothing new. We have been doing this on a bipartisan basis since the 
National School Lunch program was established 76 years ago. So we are 
just continuing a bipartisan tradition, and I want to thank colleagues 
for allowing us to be able to move forward on this bill.
  And I would now yield to my friend Senator Boozman.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arkansas.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I rise today for just a moment to discuss 
the Keep Kids Fed Act, which will help schools and summer providers 
operate as they return to normal, while facing supply chain problems 
and fighting food costs.
  This bill is a result of a bicameral, bipartisan agreement that 
assists schools and students as they resume regular operations of the 
meal programs.
  The waivers to provide higher reimbursement rates and universal free 
meals under these programs during COVID are no longer necessary.
  However, schools still face unusual times with a 35 to 40 percent 
increase in food prices due to inflation and supply chain difficulties. 
This bill provides targeted and temporary relief for the 2022-2023 
school year to help schools with higher food costs and is fully offset.
  We all want to ensure that children in this country receive healthful 
and affordable meals to help them focus on their education.
  This bill will help schools provide those meals as they return to 
normal, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill. And, again, thank 
you so much, Senator Stabenow, to you and your staff, and to my staff 
and everyone that has worked so hard to come to an agreement.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, tonight, the Senate is passing bipartisan 
legislation that will keep America's schoolkids fed for the summer.
  A hungry child is a horrible thing to see, and because of the 
amazing, persistent work of a great team, a great bipartisan team--
Senator Stabenow, chairman of the Agriculture Committee and Senator 
Boozman, ranking member of the Agriculture Committee--that won't 
happen.
  The worst of the pandemic is hopefully behind us, but schools across 
the country are still suffering from the challenges that COVID 
created--supply chain issues making it harder to provide students free 
meals they need to stay healthy over the summer.
  It would have been just awful--awful--for the Senate to leave without 
taking action to make sure we provided the waivers necessary to make 
sure kids can get the free meals they need over the summer.
  Kids deserve to be healthy. They deserve to be well fed. And by 
extending these nutrition waivers before they expire, we can make sure 
that no student will have to worry about where they are going to get 
their lunch during the summer.
  There is no justification in the world for letting these waivers come 
to an end, and the good, persistent, steady hard work of Senators 
Stabenow and Boozman made sure that didn't happen.

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