‘Disaster for Millions of Kids’ Looms as GOP Obstruction Threatens School Meal Programs

In fewer than 30 days, a slew of federal waivers that have enabled schools across the United States to provide free breakfast and lunch to students during the coronavirus pandemic are set to expire, potentially leaving millions of children without easy access to critical meals.

And to the dismay of advocates, Congress—which is currently on recess—doesn’t appear poised to act.

“There is no urgency and political appetite to even have this conversation,” Jillien Meier, director of the No Kid Hungry campaign, told Vox‘s Rachel Cohen on Wednesday. “Frankly this is not a priority for Congress and the White House. People are really focused on having a ‘return to normal’… folks aren’t talking about it and they have no clue that this crisis is looming.”

In March, obstruction by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and much of his Republican caucus tanked an effort to include a temporary extension of the waivers in an omnibus spending package.

First approved in 2020, the waivers have given the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) authority to lift regulatory obstacles to universal school meals such as income-based eligibility requirements, which entailed paperwork and other onerous red tape.

Because of the flexibilities offered by the waivers, an estimated 10 million additional children nationwide were able to access school meals—progress that advocates fear will be lost if Congress allows the waivers to lapse. Some states are rushing to enact their own universal free school meal programs in anticipation of losing the waivers.

“The consequences of not extending waivers are severe,” Lisa Davis, senior vice president of the advocacy organization Share Our Strength, warned in March after the Senate unveiled an omnibus spending package that omitted waiver extensions.

“Without them, schools will face financial penalties for not meeting federal nutrition requirements, even though they have no choice,” said Davis. “They will have fewer financial resources to meet higher prices for food and other goods, staffing, and transportation. Summer—already the hungriest time of year—will be particularly hard for kids when many summer sites will be unable to open.”

“Children in rural communities,” Davis added, “will face more barriers to accessing summer meals when important flexibilities like multiple meal pickup and delivery options disappear.”

As Vox reported Wednesday, “hundreds of advocacy groups, school districts, and elected officials have urged Congress to reauthorize the waivers for the next school year, at a price tag of roughly $11 billion,” but Republican lawmakers are still standing in the way.

Last year, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) led the introduction of a bill that would enact a permanent, universal, and nationwide free school meals program, guaranteeing free breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack to all school children no matter their family income.

The legislation, which would also eliminate school meal debt, has not received a vote in the House or the Senate.

Originally published at Commondreams.org, written by Jake Johnson.