"I commend President Biden for hosting the first White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in more than fifty years. Although we understand so much more about this issue – especially the role of good nutrition in preventing disease and in contributing to children's educational performance – than we did half a century ago, hunger remains a critical problem in America and demands our full attention. Millions of American households still lack the resources necessary to put food on the table consistently. Fortunately, President Biden's new national strategy on hunger secures an additional $8 billion in public and private funding to help ensure that everyone in America has access to the healthy food they need to learn, grow, and succeed.
 
"The White House conference builds on the progress our Democratic House Majority has made to combat hunger in the United States. After COVID-19 dramatically exacerbated food insecurity, malnutrition, and the health risks associated with diet-related illnesses such as obesity, House Democrats worked swiftly to pass the American Rescue Plan. Not only did that landmark legislation put money back into Americans' pockets and shots into their arms; it also included $12 billion in federal funding for nutritional assistance to help Americans continue to feed themselves and their families. The pandemic also highlighted the importance of the school meals that feed more than 22 million children. House Democrats helped enact key laws to grant schools greater resources and flexibility to continue providing nutritious meals to their students throughout the pandemic -- including during the summer. I'm grateful to members of the House Hunger Caucus, including Chairman Jim McGovern, for continuing to develop new solutions to address the immediate effects and underlying causes of hunger in America.  I am also thankful for the leadership of Chairwoman Barbara Lee of the Majority Leader Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity, which continues to raise and explore issues of hunger and food insecurity in our country. 
 
"It is both morally and economically unacceptable to allow hunger to persist in the United States. Americans need access to healthy, affordable food in order to build strong families and to contribute to their communities and country. House Democrats are committed to ending hunger and all the harm it causes once and for all, and today's conference will help guide that noble mission."