[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 25, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H1260]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          FEEDING OUR CHILDREN

  (Mr. LATIMER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LATIMER. Mr. Speaker, at a time when food prices are rising and 
it is harder for families to make ends meet, we should not be cutting 
food assistance programs, but that is exactly what is happening. 
Earlier this month the administration announced a billion-dollar cut to 
local purchasing for schools and food banks.
  Local farms who rely on these programs for consistent purchases of 
their food no longer have an important market, and it means that 
locally grown, more nutritious food is no longer available for food 
banks and schools.
  Just yesterday, USDA announced that it was ending part of the Farm to 
School Program. This program for years incentivized local food 
procurement for school meals. Dozens of schools in Westchester and the 
Bronx rely on these programs as a way to provide healthy food to 
students. Similarly, Feeding Westchester and City Harvest do yeoman's 
work to provide food for families and kids in need at the best value. 
If fresh food is no longer available, our community will suffer.
  These cuts must be reversed and quickly. Time is of the essence when 
it comes to our children having enough to eat.

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