Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015

Floor Speech

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with the gentleman from Tennessee and the gentlewoman from Nevada to offer a commonsense amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations Act that would ensure that this summer, when students walk away from their classroom, they don't walk into homes and communities that allow them to go hungry.

Most of us can remember the excitement of the last day of school. But too many of us forget the fact that, for millions of children in rural, suburban, and urban communities, the summer months, when you no longer have lunchtime in the cafeteria, are often the hungriest time of the year.

Our amendment is a fiscally responsible effort to be there for our kids while providing funds for the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer for Children program, which will help the USDA offer responsible solutions that respond to the food security needs of children across our Nation.

When children wake up in Illinois and feel the same exact hunger as kids in Memphis, Las Vegas, and the Speaker's district, we are doing something wrong. I urge my colleagues to work in a bipartisan manner and put kids first and pass this amendment.

Source