The spats have been happening behind the scenes for the past few weeks as lawmakers are trying to put together an arrangement to stop the federal government shutdown. The fierce process has influenced the tough debate about the programs enacted in the early days of the pandemic — and if any, they should be further funded.
The Biden administration has urged lawmakers to extend the initiative that was first enacted in 2020. This empowered the Department of Agriculture to issue a national child nutrition exemption. These exemptions continue to feed children despite many challenges, including school nutrition programs, local governments, and nonprofits that have forced students to study remotely, including school closures. I was able to.
However, according to four people familiar with the matter, the Biden administration’s request was upheld by Democrats in Congress and faced resistance at Capitol Hill to explain personal discussions on anonymous terms. Among the Republican opponents was Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), Individuals said.
Some, who are aides to the Senate Republican leadership, explained that the program was intended as a temporary solution. The aide emphasized that the school was reopening anyway and accused the Biden administration of losing the extension of the school lunch program as part of the Democratic Party’s $ 1.9 trillion stimulus last year. ..
The aide also said the administration did not include a request to extend these exemptions when it requested Congress to approve a new emergency coronavirus fund of more than $ 20 billion last week. However, USDA Secretary Tom Billsack disputed this in an interview with the Washington Post, saying he was using the phone for the program throughout the weekend.
“This weekend I asked to talk to McConnell and McConnell leaders. Now I notice that they have a lot on their dishes, but Republicans can’t handle this. That means less children have a table, “says Billsack. “And there is no reason for this. There is no reason for this.”
Individuals have warned that discussions on bipartisan funding contracts remain unresolved and that discussions may still change. Legislators aim to complete the bill’s work on Tuesday, allowing the House and Senate to urgently vote on a broader spending package.
However, without an extension of the exemption, schools are expected to dramatically reduce school lunch refunds in the next school year. USDA estimates more than 40% of the reduction in funding for school meals. Average school district. The average reimbursement received for school-provided meals will be reduced from $ 4.56 to an estimated $ 2.91. And that happens while schools continue to face higher costs of food, labor and supplies.
According to supporters of these programs, schools can also lose decisive flexibility in how they operate and can adapt traditional program rules to address pandemics and labor shortages. rice field. This includes the flexibility to serve meals in the classroom and takeaway meals for children who need to be absent from school during quarantine.
Advocates say schools may lose the ability to substitute food to meet their requirements if orders are not available due to unexpected supply chain disruptions. Finally, without exemptions, schools can face fines as a result of supply chain problems and if they do not meet federal requirements due to the school’s own negligence. For example, if a variety of vegetables cannot be served, or if a product rich in whole grains that meets federal standards is not available, the state must impose penalties on the district.
“90% of schools use exemptions and only 75% have reached the break-even point,” said Stacy Dean, Deputy Secretary of USDA. “If your income is too low for your expenses, you’ll need to go elsewhere for your income or cut costs. This is for programs such as poor quality meals, layoffs, after-school meals and breakfast. It can mean a reduction, especially for low-income students. “
School nutrition advocates are armed. While bitter incidents have diminished and the country’s unemployment rate continues to decline, the loss of these exemptions will be catastrophic for schools and poor students in unusual situations, Salt Lake City said. School district director Kelly Orton said. He points out the shortage he is seeing now.
“We had a problem getting milk. Carton makers couldn’t make them for us, and sporadically we don’t have a driver to drive milk It was, “he said. “We haven’t been drinking milk since last Tuesday. It wasn’t delivered all week and is an important component we’re supposed to offer. This is the new normal.”
Also, school districts across the country are struggling to find enough workers, Orton said, but increased funding during the pandemic pays higher wages for the district to compete in the tough labor market. Made possible.
“In the Utah retail chain, the new starting wage is $ 15. We were paying $ 13.50 in the plan, but $ 15 was approved in February to make it more competitive. With the funding, we were able to do that. The fear is that with these exemptions gone and the money running out, there is no way to fund these higher wages, “he said. Told.
Many of the safety net programs of the pandemic era gradually return to normal Dean. By terminating these exemptions on June 30, the school will not have sufficient funds for the summer program and the next school year. Dean said other safety net programs that boosted the pandemic during the crisis, such as Medicaid Health Insurance and SNAP (formerly known as Food Stamps), are more likely to return to tighter funding. He said he was given a lot of time.
“I’m afraid that the June 30 hard pivot will undermine a seamless return to normal. We want to give the school time to return to normal rules. It’s an off-lamp, “Dean said.
Katie Wilson, executive director of the Urban School Food Alliance, a non-profit organization founded by school lunch service professionals, said the loss of these exemptions also represents a significant logistical challenge for school administrators.
“The family hasn’t filled out free and discounted meal forms for the past two years. It would be literally impossible to get this information by the end of June,” Wilson said. “It takes a lot of communication and education to get families to understand why this is changing when they are still underwater from the pandemic. School nutrition programs are taking heat from all of this, and they. It will only get worse when he has to figure out how to charge his parents again. “
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Chairman of the Senate Agricultural Commission, is available to serve meals as 90% of American schools are open and children are returning to the classroom. Instead of using bipartisan tools, he said it was a shame. To the students, the Republican leadership of Congress said, “I said no and decided that they prefer to make our children hungry. This is shameful.”
