The Trump administration is trying to change eligibility requirements so that 1 million kids would lose access to free school breakfasts and lunches.
Under the Trump administration’s rule change, 500,000 kids would immediately lose access to free school meals. Another 400,000 would be forced to pay full price, which given that many of these children come from some of America’s poorest households, these kids might end up going hungry.
Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH), Chair of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations responded to the Agricultural Department’s admission that their eligibility rule change would harm millions of kids in a statement provided to PoliticusUSA:
This is a jarring admission by the Administration’s own analysts of the real damage the President’s policies will do to our youngest and most vulnerable citizens. The analysis more than doubles the figures USDA first estimated, and now shows almost a million students will either lose their free school meals entirely, or have to jump through additional bureaucratic hoops to recertify their eligibility.
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That creates yet another barrier from this Administration between working families and the help they need. Also, this is information that should have been included in the initial regulatory impact analysis, and it was completely dishonest for USDA to omit it. Not only does USDA know the President’s proposal will hurt our children, it also appears the Department is doing everything it can to obscure the real effects of those numbers from the public.
The Trump administration is trying to change the eligibility rules to make it more difficult for poor kids to get free meals at school while trying to hide the impact of their proposed change from the public.
The move by the administration is all tied back to their effort to take away food stamps from 3 million Americans. SNAP eligibility is tied to school meal program eligibility, so Trump will be creating millions more hungry poor people because the administration wants to save $90 million.
Trump is responding to impeachment by punishing children. The president has gone from locking kids in cages to trying to starve them at school.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
