Secretary Vilsack responds to highest numbers in a decade.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released its annual food security report, which showed that 18 million households, representing around 37 million Americans, struggled at some point to secure enough food in 2023. Hunger rates have been rising in the United States since 2021 after years of decline, and the 2023 report documents the highest rate of American food insecurity in the last 10 years.
Agriculture Secretary Vilsack claimed that Congressional cuts to various USDA food programs have contributed to this increase in hunger. He said, “Policies like the expanded Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit and enhanced SNAP benefits helped drive the poverty rate down to a record low of 8 percent in 2021.“
“For anyone to go hungry in America is unacceptable,” Secretary Vilsack stated. “This report reaffirms that proposals to cut food assistance—including SNAP in the next Farm Bill—are misguided and out of step with the reality working families face.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the USDA secretary as he advocates for food program funding from Congress.
- For discernment for representatives and senators as they assess and prepare federal funding bills.
Sources: Reuters, Department of Agriculture
