“We cannot return to business as usual. Our kids deserve a well-functioning safety net that won’t let them fall through the gaps,” said Filipic.
Contact: Ryan Flaherty, rflaherty@strength.org
WASHINGTON, DC — This week, millions of Americans cast their ballots in elections across the country. While some races are still being counted, Democrats won control of both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. The following is a statement from Anne Filipic, chief executive officer for Share Our Strength and its No Kid Hungry campaign:
“Americans turned out in historic numbers for the midterm elections, on a night marked by groundbreaking firsts. Voters sent a clear message: the status quo isn’t working. Exit polls showed 88% of voters are concerned about the cost of food and groceries.
“We must meet voters’ bold action with our own: protecting children from hunger today and building a stronger safety net for tomorrow.
“Our social safety net has been decimated in recent years. Massive cuts have kicked millions of Americans off SNAP and Medicaid, vital programs that ensure kids have the resources they need to grow up healthy and strong. Already, an estimated 2 million children have lost SNAP, and the most damaging changes have yet to take effect. What’s more, when kids lose SNAP, they can miss out on meals at school and in the summertime too. This requires urgent action.
“First, Congress must prioritize including a delay to the SNAP benefit cost share requirements in any end-of-year legislation, setting the stage for the new Congress to fully restore SNAP by reversing the devastating cuts made last year.
“Second, we cannot return to business as usual. Our kids deserve a well-functioning safety net that won’t let them fall through the gaps. That means setting our sights higher: ensuring more kids and their families have the food, income, and resources they need to thrive; investing even more in community partnerships to scale smarter solutions; and holding our federal, state and local leaders accountable to create a system that works for everyone.
“Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign is ready for what’s next. We’re taking big steps to amplify our own impact over the coming years. That means more kids getting the meals they need, more kids fueled up for school, more families laughing around the dinner table, more strength, more joy.
“We look forward to working with our new and returning elected officials to strengthen the programs that help feed kids and provide economic mobility for families. It will take all of us sharing our strengths to end childhood hunger in America, which is achievable in our lifetimes.”
###
About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But millions of kids in the United States live with hunger. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty.