Political Quotes

“Mr. President, today's heat index is a brutal reminder that we are in the height of summer. While we all struggle to stay cool, too many children across the country have to deal with an additional discomfort this time of the year--hunger. We can't control the temperature outside, but we do have an opportunity to help relieve their hunger pangs by modernizing USDA's Summer Food Service Program, which offers children from low-income families free lunch and snacks in the summer. The Summer Food Service Program is hamstrung by rules that date back to the 1960s and dictate a one-size-fits-all approach to the problem. Because of this, five out of six of the children who participate in the school lunch program during the school year miss out on meals during the summer. The program falls short because it is inflexible. It requires that children travel to a central location and eat their meals together. While this works well in some communities, too many children still go hungry during the summer. More than 14 million low-income children across the country live in communities that are ineligible to operate an open summer meals site. Even in communities where there are sites, access can be far from easy. Lack of transportation and extreme weather often keep children away. In rural areas, where roughly 3 million low-income children live, the closest site could be several miles away.…”