State Sen. Scott Wilk (21st District) has announced a bipartisan letter sent to Congressional leadership in urging the support of three key nutrition items in the next round of federal COVID relief. Hunger is increasing at alarming rates and without action there could be “devastating consequences for children who are not receiving sufficient nutrition due to resources limitations in child caresettings.” The following is a portion of the letter:
Dec. 5, 2020 “Dear Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader McConnell, Leader McCarthy, and Leader Schumer:
We are writing to ask for your support for the following three key nutrition items currently under consideration in the next round of federal COVID relief: increase of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP) benefits; ensure Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) reaches all eligible children in child care settings; and increase The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) support for food banks. “Failure to take these actions could worsen hunger, which is increasing at alarming rates, and have devastating consequences for children who are not receiving sufficient nutrition due to resources limitations in child care settings. “An increase in the monthly SNAP payment will provide much needed relief to low-income households that are struggling to meet their nutritional needs while facing reduced work hours and/or layoffs coupled with increased household expenses for things like remote schooling, personal protective equipment, and higher cost of groceries. In addition to providing households with more resources to
purchase food, SNAP benefits also spark the economy. As shown in a Department of Agriculture study, every dollar in new SNAP benefits increases Gross Domestic Product by about $1.50 during a weak economy. “P-EBT was authorized under Families First Coronavirus Act of 2020 in order to provide food to children who are eligible for free or reduced priced school meals but unable to access those meals due to school closures during COVID-19. P-EBT has fed over 3.7 million of California’s needy school age children during the COVID crisis and we thank you for your leadership to establish and extend the program.”
