Lawmakers May Cut Expanded Free School Lunch Program by June 2022

Some 30 million American students are at risk of losing the expanded free school lunch benefit by June 2022 if lawmakers decide to make significant budget cuts to the program.

Reports cited that Sen. Mitch McConnell and some of his fellow Republicans do not plan on renewing the expanded school lunch program authorized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) during the pandemic. Sources told The Washington Post that maintaining the same program to address the pandemic hardships would be too costly for the government.

Insiders privy to the negotiations between the lawmakers said that McConnell isn't changing his stance. The Republicans also pointed out that the expansion was designed as a temporary relief and could no longer be needed as the U.S. transitions to the new normal.

In May 2020, USDA Sec. Tom Vilsack expanded the school lunch program for K-12 students to benefit millions of food-insecure kids. It was renewed in April 2021 as the COVID-19 crisis continued. The extension provided free school lunches and breakfast waivers for other children.

"Less Food on their Plates"

Vilsack said that he asked to meet with McConnell to discuss the school lunch program before lawmakers finalize the budget on midnight Friday, March 11. He said there is no reason for the children to have "less food on their plates."

The School Nutrition Association also sent more than 73,000 emails to different lawmakers and lobbyists in Capitol Hill to convince them to extend the program. Otherwise, the school lunch budget will have a 40 percent reduction of resources if it reverts to pre-pandemic funding.

With the rising food cost due to inflation, some families can't afford school meals. The School Nutrition Association noted that unpaid school meal debts from 2019 affected about three-quarters of the school districts.

Analysts told The Post that if the discussions lapse, it will follow the same track as the expanded monthly child tax credit payments, which has ended in December 2021. The following month, around 3.7 million kids were estimated to have descended into poverty because the lawmakers had not yet extended the monthly child tax credit benefit.

Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat, said that the decision on the school lunch program's budget should not be a controversial or a difficult one because schools will still need to keep feeding the children. On the other hand, fellow Democrat Sen. Debbie Stabenow criticized the Republican leadership as they "prefer to let our kids go hungry."

Importance of School Meal Programs

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that the school lunch program is vital to shaping children's healthy eating habits. If the kids have access to nutritious meals, they become better learners, get better grades, or have reduced absences in class.

Studies have also found links between students' academic achievements and healthy eating habits. Thus, nutrition provided by the school is a significant part of a healthy curriculum that promotes and improves the children's quality of life.