While Congress last week passed a bill averting a shutdown by funding the government through December 11, it only marginally addresses the needs of families struggling to put food on the table as the jobless toll continues to mount during the pandemic.
The percentage of people experiencing food insecurity in the U.S. has doubled overall and tripled among households with children. Research shows that an additional 17 million people could be food insecure this year due to COVID-19’s economic impact for a total of 54 million people (one in six people in the country). Although this spending bill provides funding to accommodate the needs of people participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the school meals program, it stops short of providing a comprehensive package to address the growing challenges of hunger and nutrition.
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