Congressman Garamendi Hosts House Rules Committee Chairman McGovern to Discuss Local Programs to Bolster Health and Eradicate Hunger and Poverty

Press Release

Today, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) welcomed Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA)--Chairman of the House Rules Committee--to his Congressional District for discussions on local initiatives to combat hunger and poverty in America.

The visit is part of a series of Rules Committee events Chairman McGovern is hosting through his initiative to end food insecurity in America and highlight the steps that Congress and the Biden administration are taking to properly address it.

This week, the Biden administration announced revisions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that prompted the largest permanent increase to benefits in the program's history. Congressmen Garamendi and Chairman McGovern discussed this news at today's events and expressed their support for further action to end hunger in America.

The Congressmen began today's visit by attending briefings at the University of California, Davis to meet with community advocates and policy experts and discuss efforts at UC Davis to strengthen domestic and international health and combat poverty and hunger. The Congressmen received briefings from representatives of Feed the Future Innovation Lab, One Health Initiative, UC Davis Health, University of California CalFresh Nutrition Education Program (UC CalFresh), and UC Davis Agricultural Sustainability Institute. The conversations included information on how these organizations work in a collaborative manner to educate at-risk populations on proper nutrition, increase food access in rural communities, and promote healthy habits in the community,

Following these briefings, the Congressmen joined the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano at their Fairfield location to learn about the support they provide for victims of regional wildfires and food insecure members of the military and veteran community.

"I want to thank my friend Congressman Garamendi for inviting me to his district to meet with local experts, hear about efforts to combat food insecurity, and see this innovative work firsthand," said Chairman McGovern. "Congress and the Biden administration have implemented programs to slash hunger in America and cut child poverty in half. We've proven we can do big things to change people's lives for the better. I'm more convinced than ever that using the full weight of the federal government, we can go even further and finally end the scourge of hunger in our nation once and for all."

"The COVID-19 pandemic greatly exacerbated the hunger crisis in America," said Congressman Garamendi. "Thankfully, House Democrats are working hand-in-glove with the Biden administration to provide the much-needed support Americans need to lift themselves out of hunger and the strain of poverty. No one in Congress has fought harder to address this issue than Chairman McGovern, and it is a pleasure to meet with him today and highlight the critically important work that's done in our community to fight hunger locally, nationally, and internationally. Thank you to the local experts and advocates who participated in today's events and shared their insight into how we can create a hunger-free America" Garamendi concluded.

Congressmen Garamendi and McGovern are encouraging all educators, organizations, families, and anyone else with a story to share about combating hunger in America to do so here.

Photos from today's events are available here. Each photo is attributable to the Office of Congressman John Garamendi.

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