Chairman McGovern Announces Rules Committee Hearing Examining the Hunger Crisis in America
Will explore steps Congress and the Biden administration could take finally end food insecurity in this country
WASHINGTON, DC — Rules Committee Chairman James P. McGovern (D-MA) today announced that the Rules Committee will hold a hearing on the hunger crisis in this country on Wednesday, April 28th at 12pm ET. The hearing, Ending Hunger in America: Challenges, Opportunities, and Building the Political Will to Succeed, is the first in a series of events that will the highlight the reality of food insecurity and examine the steps that Congress and the Biden administration could take to equitably combat it. Chairman McGovern recently asked Americans to share their experiences, research, and possible solutions to help guide the committee in this work. He has also called for a substantive, policy-focused White House hunger conference to create the roadmap to end hunger by 2030, which the United Nations has called for.
“As we begin to turn the page on the coronavirus pandemic, we need to not just build back better, we must finally build back hunger free. This is an all-hands-on-deck moment that will require the full weight of the federal government. That’s why I’ve called on the Biden administration to hold a White House hunger conference and why I will be using the Rules Committee to examine what Congress can do. Unless we act and act boldly, this epidemic in food insecurity will persist long after the coronavirus has passed. We must seize this opportunity to end the hunger crisis once and for all,” said Chairman McGovern.
Co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus, McGovern authored legislation which created the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program. Now in its third decade, McGovern-Dole aims to provide at least one nutritious meal a day to some of the world’s most vulnerable children in a school setting. It has reduced the incidence of hunger among school-age children, increased school enrollments and attendance, and increased the support of families and communities for education. He has also founded the bipartisan Food is Medicine working group in Congress to highlight how critical healthy meals are for American families.
What: Rules Committee Hearing, Ending Hunger in America: Challenges, Opportunities, and Building the Political Will to Succeed
When: Wednesday, April 28th at 12pm ET
Where: This proceeding will be streamed live on rules.house.gov via Cisco Webex
Witnesses:
Dr. Thea James, Vice President of Mission and Associate Chief Medical Officer, Boston Medical Center
Dr. Diane Schanzenbach, Margaret Walker Alexander Professor, Northwestern School of Education and Social Policy
Ms. Ayesha Curry, Co-Founder, Eat.Learn.Play. Foundation; Ambassador, No Kid Hungry
Ms. Heather Reynolds, Managing Director of the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities, University of Notre Dame
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