[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 88 (Wednesday, May 24, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H2588]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUPPORTING OUR KUPUNA

  (Ms. TOKUDA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. TOKUDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the Keep 
Kupuna Fed Act.
  According to the most current data from the USDA, 1 in 10 kupuna, or 
senior citizens, are experiencing hunger and food insecurity.
  SNAP has played a critical role in preventing millions of Americans, 
including our kupuna, from going hungry in the face of a public health 
crisis, supply chain disruptions, and rising inflation.
  While the historic 8.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment was welcome 
news to more than 65 million Social Security beneficiaries, for many 
kupuna, this has resulted in a net loss.
  Seniors in every one of our districts across the country have lost or 
will lose access to SNAP entirely, while others will see a significant 
decrease in benefits because of this bump in Social Security.
  That is why I introduced the Keep Kupuna Fed Act, which would exempt 
title II Social Security benefits from the SNAP program's income 
eligibility requirements. This ensures more kupuna stay on SNAP and 
don't go hungry.
  I invite my colleagues to join me in helping end senior hunger and 
keep our kupuna fed by supporting this important measure.

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