Biden Effort to Combat Hunger Marks 'a Profound Change'

[RandySF]

WASHINGTON — With more than one in 10 households reporting that they lack enough to eat, the Biden administration is accelerating a vast campaign of hunger relief that will temporarily increase assistance by tens of billions of dollars and set the stage for what officials envision as lasting expansions of aid.

The effort to rush more food assistance to more people is notable both for the scale of its ambition and the variety of its legislative and administrative actions. The campaign has increased food stamps by more than $1 billion a month, provided needy children a dollar a day for snacks, expanded a produce allowance for pregnant women and children, and authorized the largest children’s summer feeding program in history.

“We haven’t seen an expansion of food assistance of this magnitude since the founding of the modern food stamp program in 1977,” said James P. Ziliak, an economist at the University of Kentucky who studies nutrition programs. “It’s a profound change.”

While dollars and decisions are flowing from the Agriculture Department, the tone has been set by President Biden, who issued an executive order in January telling aides to “address the growing hunger crisis” and later lamented the car lines “half a mile each, just to get a box of food.”




https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/04/us/politics/biden-hunger-programs.html

[Cha]

1. YAY! I know how

the Treasonous Psycho always cutting Food Assistance is NOT Forgotten!



Mahalo, President Biden & TEAM!!!!

[JI7]

2. Biden is trying to estabhlish a safety net of basic + needs which people will start to see as

an expectation . Just like we expect the Govt to protect the country from outside attacks the same would be expected of things like preventing hunger .

[Indykatie]

3. Walmart and Farmers Should Be Loud Supporters of Biden's Goals to Eliminate Hunger

They are 2 of the biggest beneficiaries of increases in food stamps. Amazon now accepts food stamps for groceries purchased on line so they'll get a small slice too.

[RandySF]

4. Many local farmers markets also accept EBT.

[mopinko]

11. farmers are the intended beneficiaries. that's why it's usda.

[Hekate]

5. KnR

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

6. I know what it is like to be hungry.

When I was a sophomore in high school I had a Saturday baby sitting job, taking care of two young girls whose parents worked at a garden shop. Most weekends, when the mom drove me home, I asked to stop at a local grocery store so I could buy food for my family. The mom was astonished that I spent the money that way. But we were poor and hungry, and I couldn't begin to imagine spending the money any other way.

I spent my formative years hungry and in need. I know what it is like to not have enough. It's why I do volunteer work at my local homeless shelter. I am not rich, but I have more than I need, and so I try to help others.

[Laha]

7. Such wonderful news

I know things aren't perfect, but tuning into the news these days isn't the horror show all the time that it used to be. This will be a big boost to the health of America in so many ways. If you can't eat properly it's really difficult to be productive, or even think and learn. I know from experience.

And large agricultural industries stand to be major benefactors as well, since more people will be able to afford their products. And they'll have a healthier work force.

[RandySF]

9. He may wind up being the most progressive POTUS since LBJ.

[Laha]

10. You gotta wonder if that wasn't the rethuglicans' plan all along

Subdue the population through starvation and division so they can't fight back. An ancient tactic.

But they forgot that when Americans of good conscience get pissed off, they *really* get pissed off.

[betsuni]

8. So those who called Biden a centrist corporate shill itching to gut Social Security

and ignore the working class were wrong? What a large surprise.