**The full committee hearing is available HERE**
**Rep. Kuster’s full remarks are available HERE**

Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02), a member of the House Agriculture Committee, participated in a full Committee hearing entitled, “A Look at Food Insecurity in America." The Agriculture Committee heard from food supply chain experts about the impact of COVID-19 on food insecurity and how to build a more resilient food supply chain moving forward.

Since the spread of COVID-19, approximately one in seven Granite Staters are food insecure, meaning they do not know when or where their next meal will come from. COVID has made an additional 55,000 people in New Hampshire food insecure, a 69% increase from pre-pandemic levels. In total, more than 180,000 people across the state are now food insecure, including an estimated 21-23% of children.

“Food insecurity is such a heartbreaking but important issue, and one that we can solve with diligent and targeted action,” said Rep. Kuster. “COVID-19 has pulled back the curtain and exposed the staggering degree of food insecurity that already existed in New Hampshire and across the country before the pandemic. No one should have to go hungry in America — we can do better. I was proud to help champion increased funding for food assistance programs in the COVID response packages Congress passed last year. The American Rescue Plan Act, which we passed and sent to the President’s desk yesterday, provides billions in additional food support at a time when Americans still desperately need it. These are important steps we must continue in order to end food insecurity.”

“Our nutrition partners and stakeholders in New Hampshire have done a tremendous job in their response to this crisis, but it’s also clear that food banks, soup kitchens, and dedicated volunteers cannot stem the tide of hunger alone,” Rep. Kuster continued. “Without robust support from SNAP, WIC, and other federal nutrition and food assistance programs, countless more of our friends and neighbors wouldn’t know where their next meal is coming from. To that end, I’ve been excited to see SNAP online purchasing pilots launched in 47 states, including New Hampshire. My hope is that these pilots will continue to grow and will eventually be expanded to WIC as well. I will continue working in Congress to ensure every Granite Stater has food on the table.”

Witnesses at today’s Subcommittee hearing included:

Kyle Waide

President and CEO, Atlanta Community Food Bank

Zippy Duvall

President, American Farm Bureau Federation

Max McBrayer

CEO, RaceTrac Petroleum, Inc. in Atlanta, GA

Ron Edenfield

President, Wayfield Foods in Lithia Springs, GA

Eric Hodei

CFO and COO, Midwest Food Bank in Normal, IL

Rep. Kuster has been a leading voice in Congress for addressing food insecurity in the United States. The Kuster-backed American Rescue Plan Act, which passed the House yesterday and the President signed into law today, includes key provisions Rep. Kuster advanced to provide billions in additional food support at a time when Americans still desperately need it. Rep. Kuster voted in favor of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act last March, which allowed all Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households to access the maximum benefit allottable under the program. Kuster also voted in favor of the HEROES Act, which passed the House last May. This legislation includes many of the recommendations Kuster outlined in her Roadmap to Recovery plan, such as the $75 billion in funding to state and local governments to bolster testing and expand food assistance programs. 

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