Republicans Won't Renew Free School Meal Program Which Could Hurt Millions of Children

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

A pandemic program allowing waivers for schools to provide free breakfast and lunch to up to 10 million additional students is set to expire on June 30. Currently, Congress has not provided a solution to extend the program to the dismay of many advocated, Salon reports.

The waivers gave the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) authority to lift regulatory obstacles to universal school meals, such as income-based eligibility requirements. With that new flexibility, millions of families were able to discard paperwork and red tape for kids to get fed. The National School Lunch program feeds 22.6 million school children daily.

However, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and other Republicans killed a temporary program extension in March – saying they did not see “pandemic-era flexibilities as necessary anymore.”

From Salon:

“There is no urgency and political appetite to even have this conversation,” Jillien Meier, director of the No Kid Hungry campaign, told Vox’s Rachel Cohen on Wednesday. “Frankly this is not a priority for Congress and the White House. People are really focused on having a ‘return to normal’... folks aren’t talking about it and they have no clue that this crisis is looming.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/republicans-wont-renew-free-school-154300136.html

[CrispyQ]

1. I can't believe that we don't provide breakfast & lunch to every school child.

I don't care what the family income is. WTF? How can you say you care about kids & then not feed them or protect them? So sick of these hypocrites & the assholes who vote for them.

[Irish_Dem]

2. Richest country in the history of the world and we won't give kids school lunches.

We certainly can afford it.

Just pure GOP cruelty.

[gldstwmn]

8. I had some asshole on Nextdoor tell me that school lunches were "freebies" that should be done away

with.
Imagine being so miserly that you don't even want "your tax dollars" feeding children. I was so disgusted by that.

[Irish_Dem]

10. Adequate childhood nutrition probably pays for itself in the long.

Better health, better academic functioning leading to improved employment, etc.

Even if it didn't pay for itself it is the right thing to do.

We see the display of GOP cruelty and mean mindedness every day.

[Mad_Machine76]

3. An extension was part of BBB too, wasn't it?

If so, we have Sinemanchin to "thank" for killing it too.

[CrackityJones75]

4. Baloney!

Ok that’s two on our side to blame. Sure. But there are 50 republicans that could have voted in favor!

We have to stop the self flagellation.

[Mad_Machine76]

5. I agree

that Republicans are way more of an issue but on BBB, Sinemanchin had the power to get it and everything else in package approved and everybody was literally begging them to make a deal but they arrogantly deep-sixed it. They were ultimately the deciding factor in it not being approved.

[Baked Potato]

6. Republicans: If bullets don't kill your children, we will. Nt

[keithbvadu2]

7. Bullets for schoolkids but not beans.

Bullets for schoolkids but not beans.

You may not be alive for lunch anyway.

???

[ChoppinBroccoli]

13. Sounds Like A Great Slogan--"Let Them Eat Bullets"

[NCLefty]

9. Why would the program hurt millions of children?

😎

[okaawhatever]

11. Failure to renew the program is what will hurt children, not the program itself. NT

[ChoppinBroccoli]

12. No On Formula For Babies, No On School Lunches

Republicans want children to starve!!!

Start running the ad campaigns now.