[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 157 (Wednesday, September 28, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H8181-H8184]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FOOD SECURITY FOR ALL VETERANS ACT
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 8888) to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in
the Department of Veterans Affairs an Office of Food Security, and for
other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
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 ``Food Security for All
Veterans Act''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
OFFICE OF FOOD SECURITY.
Chapter 3 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by
adding at the end the following new section (and conforming
the table of sections at the beginning of such chapter
accordingly):
``Sec. 325. Office of Food Security
``(a) Establishment.--There is in the Department an office
to be known as the `Office of Food Security'. There is at the
head of the Office a Director, which shall be a career
position.
``(b) Responsibilities.--(1) The Director of the Office of
Food Security shall carry out the following responsibilities:
``(A) To provide information to veterans concerning the
availability of, and eligibility requirements for Federal
nutrition assistance programs.
``(B) To collaborate with other program offices of the
Department, including the Homeless Programs Office and the
Office of Tribal Government Relations, to develop and
implement policies and procedures to identify and treat
veterans at-risk or experiencing food insecurity.
``(C) To collaborate with the Secretary of Agriculture and
the Secretary of Defense on food insecurity among veterans,
including by collaborating with the Secretaries to develop
materials related to food insecurity for the Transition
Assistance Program curriculum and other transition-related
resources.
``(D) To develop and provide training, including training
that may count towards continuing education or licensure
requirements, for social workers, dietitians, chaplains, and
other clinicians on how to assist veterans with enrollment in
Federal nutrition assistance programs, including the
supplemental nutrition assistance program and the special
supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and
children established by section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act
of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786).
``(E) To issue guidance to Department medical centers on
how to collaborate with their State and local offices
administering the supplemental nutrition assistance program.
``(2) In carrying out the responsibilities under paragraph
(1), the Director shall consult with and provide technical
assistance to the heads of other Federal departments and
agencies, including the Department of Agriculture, Department
of Defense, Department of Interior, and Department of Labor.
``(c) Annual Report on Food Insecurity.--The Secretary of
Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of
Agriculture, shall submit to the Committees on Veterans'
Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives an annual
report on veteran food insecurity. Each such report shall
include data on the following:
``(1) The socioeconomic, ethnic, and racial characteristics
of veterans experiencing food insecurity, disaggregated by
State in which the veteran is located.
``(2) Native American veterans experiencing food
insecurity.
``(3) Specific interventions for veterans who screen
positive for food insecurity.
``(4) Eligibility screenings for participation in the
supplemental nutrition assistance program completed by
personnel of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
``(5) The number of applications for participation in the
supplemental nutrition assistance program completed with
assistance from personnel of the Department.
``(6) Changes, as a result of participation in the
supplemental nutrition assistance program, in the number of
food insecure veteran households.
``(7) Coordination efforts between State agencies and
Department facilities located in that State regarding
outreach to veterans to participate in the supplemental
nutrition assistance program.
``(d) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) The terms `Native American' and `Native American
veteran' have the meanings given those terms in section 3765
of this title.
``(2) The terms `State agency' and `supplemental nutrition
assistance program' have the meanings given those terms in
section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C.
2012).''.
SEC. 3. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of
complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall
be determined by reference to the latest statement titled
``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act,
submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the
Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such
statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Takano) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and insert extraneous material on H.R. 8888, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 8888, as amended, the
Food Security for All Veterans Act.
This bill establishes an office dedicated to ending veteran hunger at
the VA that will collaborate with internal and external groups to
develop and implement policies and procedures to identify and treat
veterans at risk of or experiencing hunger.
Food insecurity can create or exacerbate other health maladies and is
one of many contributing factors that has led to increased suicide
rates, diabetes, heart disease, and depression. Addressing veteran
hunger is critical to this committee's suicide prevention efforts.
Madam Speaker, I thank our newest Member from Alaska, Congresswoman
Peltola, for taking up this important issue and prioritizing veterans.
The VA has made tremendous strides in its work to end veteran hunger.
The VA leads an interagency working group and regularly collaborates
with its Federal counterparts on this issue. The VA also instituted a
clinical reminder that screens every veteran who receives their care at
VA for food insecurity and connects those in need with resources.
However, until recently, these tasks were carried out by VA employees
as ancillary duties. There was no staff dedicated solely to addressing
veteran hunger. The VA has started the process of building a team that
works exclusively on this issue, and Congresswoman Peltola's bill gives
the VA the infrastructure and resources to ensure those efforts
continue for years to come.
Before the pandemic and still now, Black, Latino, Native American,
and Alaska Native veteran families experienced disproportionately high
rates of hunger. This bill requires the VA to coordinate with the VA
Office of Tribal Government Relations and the Department of the
Interior to focus on these communities.
A critical issue this bill intends to affect is the disparity between
the VA and USDA data on veteran hunger. The USDA reports about an 11
percent rate of food insecurity among veterans versus the VA, which
reports a roughly 2 percent rate among veterans using VA healthcare.
The bill requires VA, in consultation with the USDA, to issue an
annual report to Congress on the prevalence of veteran hunger. It also
requires the VA to track its progress and success in connecting more
veterans with resources like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program, or SNAP.
Importantly, the Food Security for All Veterans Act mandates the VA
collaborates with the Departments of Agriculture and Defense to develop
materials for the Transition Assistance Program to help increase access
to food resources for families in need as they navigate the military-
to-civilian transition.
September is Hunger Action Month, and today, the White House hosted
the Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health that will catalyze the
public and private sectors around a coordinated strategy to accelerate
progress
[[Page H8182]]
and drive transformative change in our country to end hunger.
This legislation is endorsed by numerous veterans service
organizations and hunger advocacy organizations, including Student
Veterans of America, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, Food Research
& Action Center, Disabled American Veterans, American Federation of
Government Employees, National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, Iraq
and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and Blue Star Families.
Madam Speaker, I include in the Record the following letters from
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger and the Food Research & Action
Center.
[MAZON, Sept. 23, 2022]
Statement for the Record in Support of H.R. 8888 Submitted by MAZON: A
Jewish Response to Hunger
A Jewish Response to Hunger is pleased to share this
statement for the record in support of H.R. 8888, the Food
Security for All Veterans Act. This bill, which would
establish an Office of Food Security at the U.S. Department
of Veterans Affairs, represents a helpful step forward in the
effort to achieve a more comprehensive and lasting solution
to the preventable problem of veteran food insecurity.
Inspired by Jewish values and ideals, MAZON takes to heart
our collective responsibility to care for the vulnerable in
our midst, without judgement or precondition. In the United
States, this responsibility to prevent and respond to hunger
lies centrally with our federal government. The charitable
food sector is in no way equipped to respond to the scope of
food insecurity in America--all of the charitable and faith-
based organizations in this country combined contribute less
than ten percent of all food assistance in this country and
have extremely limited capacity to respond to more than
emergency needs. The food insecurity crisis in our country is
the purview of the federal government and it is impractical,
inefficient, and immoral to abdicate this responsibility and
attempt to outsource the response to a charitable sector that
is already overburdened.
For over 37 years, MAZON has been fighting to end hunger
among all people of all faiths and backgrounds, and for
nearly ten years, we have prioritized addressing the long-
overlooked issue of food insecurity among veterans and
military families. Jewish text and tradition compel us to
honor the dignity of every person, especially those who are
struggling. No matter a person's circumstance, no one
deserves to be hungry. Those who have bravely served to
defend our country especially should never have to be
subjected to the cruel and painful experience of hunger.
The establishment of the Office of Food Security at the
Department of Veterans Affairs that is empowered to
coordinate efforts among VA program offices, provide
information about and help connect veterans to available
nutrition assistance benefits and resources, collaborate with
USDA, Department of Defense, and other federal agencies, and
develop and provide training for professionals who work with
veterans, would be an extremely helpful step forward in the
national effort to address the crisis of veteran food
insecurity.
MAZON has testified before Congress and shared our insights
and recommendations about food insecurity among veteran
households numerous times over the years. Unfortunately, too
little progress has been made during the intervening time.
There have been some positive steps, both programmatically
and through policy change, that have helped; most notably,
the recent adoption of the Hunger Vital Signs screening tool
at all VA outpatient facilities (MAZON has long advocated for
mandatory food insecurity screenings and SNAP eligibility
screening, and application assistance across the VA system;
much more still remains to be done on this front to connect
food insecure veterans with SNAP) and increases to SNAP
benefits through the temporary boost included through COVID-
19-relief legislation and the recent update to the Thrifty
Food Plan by USDA.
It should be noted that, while the temporary boost to SNAP
benefits and other COVID-19 assistance provided by the
federal government helped to alleviate some material hardship
and prevented food insecurity and poverty rates from
dramatically spiking due to the pandemic and associated
economic downturn, the American population--including
veterans--experienced exacerbated challenges that compounded
food insecurity rates and more severe impacts.
These challenges include elevated rates of unemployment
(particularly within the service sector and
disproportionately impacting female employees and people of
color), widespread school closures and the loss of subsidized
school meals, medical emergencies and the associated
financial costs for treatment and lost income from time out
of work), and mental health distress.
We are particularly concerned about the impacts of racial
inequities on veterans and the ongoing tragedy of heightened
suicide rates among veterans. While there is growing public
awareness and concern about both issues, there remains a need
for viable policy proposals to address them. The
disproportionate impact of food insecurity on households of
veterans of color highlight racial inequities that are
perpetuated through public policies and program
implementation. Closing the SNAP participation gap for
veterans and improving the program to better reach and serve
food insecure veterans of color will not only signal a
commitment to meaningful efforts to address racial justice--
it will concretely contribute to those efforts to achieve
greater racial equity in federal policy.
As noted by Dr. Thomas O'Toole during his testimony before
the House Veterans Affairs Committee on January 9, 2020, a
growing body of research sheds light on the relationship
between food insecurity and risk factors for poor mental
health and suicide. A new study on ``Association between Food
Insecurity, Mental Health, and Intentions to Leave the U.S.
Army in a Cross-Sectional Sample of U.S. Soldiers'' by
researchers at the USDA Economic Research Service and the
U.S. Army Public Health Center offers additional insight
about linkages between food insecurity, mental health, and
military service. Contributing to the VA's stated top
clinical priority to end veteran suicide and implement a
comprehensive public health approach to reach all veterans,
the VA must step up to provide leadership around a robust
effort to address veteran food insecurity by proactive SNAP
outreach to veterans both within and outside of the VA
system.
A recommendation made by Dr. Colleen Heflin during her
testimony at the May 27, 2021 House Rules Committee
roundtable examination of the hunger crisis among veterans
and military families holds great promise to decrease the
risk of food insecurity during the transition from military
service to civilian life, when many households are more
likely at risk of food insecurity. MAZON urges Congress to
explore this suggestion for the federal government to provide
a targeted transitional benefit to all families leaving
military service below a certain rank. Such a benefit would
act as a stabilizing mechanism and provide much-needed
additional assistance to veterans and their families during a
time when they may experience a greater level of financial
need. Such a transitional benefit, especially one that
utilizes innovative new technologies for benefit delivery and
personalized communications, opens up opportunities to
proactively assess and respond to the whole-person needs of
veterans by building trust and facilitating connections to
other available resources and comprehensive services. In
addition, MAZON supports the distinct, yet often related,
recommendations by Dr. Heflin to better protect veterans with
disabilities from food insecurity.
MAZON was proud to recently sign a Memorandum of Agreement
with the Veterans Health Administration to work
collaboratively to address veteran food insecurity. While
MAZON is excited about this opportunity to provide input,
contribute resources, and collaborate on innovative program
ideas and solutions, the limited commitments to date by the
VA and slow pace of response to a preventable crisis with
multiple negative consequences is deeply distressing.
Additionally, the sporadic oversight by Congress and the lack
of urgency that has been demonstrated in holding federal
agencies accountable to a proactive, robust, and measurable
solution to ending veteran food insecurity must be rectified.
There is great bipartisan concern in Congress about veteran
food insecurity, but the commitment to mandate and provide
funding for proven solutions has unfortunately not matched
the lofty rhetoric.
It is time to recenter the VA's goals and priorities in the
effort to provide a comprehensive response to veteran food
insecurity. The implicit abdication of responsibility by the
federal government to the charitable sector is unsustainable
and dangerous as it shifts attention away from the need to
strengthen and improve access to SNAP and other federal
programs that serve as the frontline response to veteran food
insecurity.
Success should be measured not by how many food pantries
open at VA centers, but rather by how many food pantries
become unnecessary due to veteran households receiving the
support they need and are entitled to through programs like
SNAP. MAZON urges Congress to step up its leadership as a
vital part of this effort by prioritizing the protection and
improvement of SNAP, supporting innovative and effective ways
to better connect food insecure veterans with federal
nutrition assistance programs (including mandating that VA
facilities conduct on-site SNAP eligibility screenings and
application assistance in addition to the food insecurity
screenings currently conducted), bolstering nutrition
assistance support during transition from active duty to
veteran status, strengthening the supports and removing
barriers for food insecure veterans with disabilities, and
centering the experiences and perspectives of veterans with
lived experiences with food insecurity.
The establishment of the Office of Food Security at the VA
as proposed in H.R. 8888 promises to make a substantial
contribution to coordinating and improving agency efforts and
deepening the impact of the federal response to veteran food
insecurity. This progress is long overdue and should
represent just the next step forward among additional
commitments to come.
Veteran food insecurity--indeed, all food insecurity--is a
solvable problem, and the solution lies in mustering the
political will to prioritize and address it. MAZON welcomes
the opportunity to continue to work with
[[Page H8183]]
Congress, with all relevant federal agencies, and with VSOs
and other community partners, to build this political will
and do right by those who have bravely served our country. No
veteran should ever have to worry about being able to feed
themselves or those in their family. We owe them much more
than the half-measures and broken promises of our policies
and programs to date.
Hungry veterans cannot eat another report or hearing
transcript. MAZON urges Congress to enact the recommendations
included in H.R. 8888 and identify additional concrete steps
that Congress and the Administration can take now to end the
crisis of veteran food insecurity. We stand ready with
suggestions and with resolve to work in partnership.
____
[From Food Research & Action Center, May 18, 2022]
House of Representatives, Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity
Statement of Support For the Establishment of a Department of Veterans
Affairs Office of Food Security
The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) supports the
``Discussion Draft, to amend Title 38, United States Code, to
establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs an Office of
Food Insecurity, and for other purposes'' set for hearing on
May 18, 2022, before the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee
on Economic Opportunity. This critical legislation will
amplify the Department of Veterans Affairs efforts to address
food insecurity among veterans and their families.
FRAC works to improve the nutrition, health, and well-being
of tens of millions of people struggling against poverty-
related hunger in the United States through advocacy,
partnerships, and by advancing bold and equitable policy
solutions. FRAC has championed work to address food
insecurity among veterans and participates in the Military
Family Advisory Network and Veterans Health Administration
(VHA) efforts to screen and intervene to address food
insecurity among patients.
Food insecurity, even marginal food insecurity (a less
severe form), is detrimental to the health, development, and
well-being of people and is associated with some of the most
common and costly health problems in the U.S. A 2021 Economic
Research Service Report, Food Insecurity Among Working-Age
Veterans, found that 11.1 percent of veterans between the
ages of 18 to 64 lived in households reporting food
insecurity, while 5.3 lived in households experiencing very
low food security. After controlling for demographic
characteristics that normally predict food insecurity, such
as age, educational attainment, and income, the risk of food
insecurity is 7.4 percent higher among veterans than
nonveterans ages 18-64.
By creating an Office of Food Security, this legislation
represents a critical step to prioritize, accelerate, and
sustain the Department of Veterans Affairs' work to address
food insecurity among those who have sacrificed so much for
our nation. Of note, the Veterans Health Administration has
screened millions of patients for food insecurity and
connected veterans and their families to crucial federal
nutrition programs, like the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition
Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), school meals,
child care meals, summer meals, and emergency food sites,
such as food banks and pantries. By providing funding to
build out these efforts to screen and intervene veterans at
risk for food insecurity, this legislation will enshrine the
importance of this work, identify gaps in services, and
connect veterans to available federal nutrition programs and
other resources.
This legislation recognizes the critical role the federal
nutrition plays in addressing food insecurity among veterans
and their families. The federal nutrition programs are among
our nation's most important, proven, and cost-effective
public interventions to not only address food insecurity but
also to improve health, nutrition, and well-being. A growing
body of research links these programs to a wide range of
positive outcomes for families and the nation. Federal
nutrition programs improve dietary intake and nutrition
quality; support healthy growth of children; boost learning
and academic achievement; reduce poverty and increase family
economic security; and lower health care spending.
Ensuring access to SNAP, in particular, is a critical step
in supporting food security among veterans. Nationwide,
according to the USDA, 1,174,027 veterans (6.6 percent of all
veterans) received SNAP benefits, improving veterans'
purchasing power necessary to buy food in a dignified way at
military commissaries and other food retail outlets that
accept SNAP. A recent survey estimated that only 59 percent
of eligible veterans were enrolled in SNAP. The USDA has
identified veterans as a priority population for state SNAP
outreach plans, including partnership with local VHA
facilities. Accessing SNAP not only helps veterans everywhere
put food on the table, it reduces poverty, supports economic
stability, and improves health outcomes.
FRAC looks forward to supporting the Department of Veterans
Affairs work to address food insecurity. Alongside increasing
veteran participation in SNAP and other federal nutrition
programs, eradicating food insecurity and hunger among
veterans and their families will require a national response
that addresses underlying causes (e.g., a lack of well-paying
jobs and a lack of affordable housing). This draft
legislation is an important step in the right direction.
____
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I urge the rest of my colleagues to
support this legislation and ensure no veteran goes hungry, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I reluctantly support this bill.
Food insecurity is an issue that impacts thousands of veterans every
year. Veterans continue to suffer from skyrocketing food prices caused
by the economic mistakes of the Biden administration.
While I support bringing more attention to veteran hunger, I am
skeptical that this bill is the correct solution. The bill before us
today would try to address these issues by creating a new office of
food security at the VA. The VA has also already told us that they were
working to set up an office at the VHA dedicated to food insecurity.
I look forward to working with our colleagues in the Senate to modify
the language in this bill to match the Department's efforts.
That said, I am pleased by the changes that were made today to
improve on the text. All considered, I reluctantly urge all of my
colleagues to support the bill.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Alaska (Mrs. Peltola), my new friend who is a newly elected Member of
Congress. I think this is her first piece of legislation to be brought
to the floor, and we are proud it is coming out of the Veterans'
Affairs Committee.
{time} 2000
Mrs. PELTOLA. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for providing
consideration of my legislation today. I particularly want to share my
appreciation with committee Chair Takano and Ranking Member Bost on the
Veterans' Affairs Committee for moving quickly on this important issue
for the 18 million veterans in our country.
Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak on a topic of vital importance
to my State where veterans comprise about 10 percent of the population,
and I know many veterans who face food insecurity.
This is my first bill as a Member of the U.S. House of
Representatives, which is appropriate. There is nothing more important
than ensuring our veterans and their families can enjoy a safe and
healthy life after their service for our country.
This bill would create an Office of Food Security within the
Department of Veterans Affairs. The office would be charged with
providing information to veterans on the availability and eligibility
requirements for Federal nutrition assistance programs. The office
would work with other government agencies to implement policies to help
veterans at risk or experiencing food insecurity.
A report just 4 months ago from the Center for Strategic and
International Studies was clear, ``Food insecurity among U.S. veterans
and military families is a national security concern: it multiplies
stress on Active Duty personnel, diminishes well-being among
servicemembers and their children--who are more likely to serve in the
military as adults--and may hinder recruitment for the armed
services.''
Madam Speaker, I know this bill will not solve the problem entirely,
but I believe it can help in Alaska and throughout the country. I ask
my colleagues to support H.R. 8888.
Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this
bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in
passing H.R. 8888, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 8888, 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.
[[Page H8184]]
Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________