WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05), was joined by House Committee on Agriculture Ranking Member Angie Craig (MN-02) and 47 House Democrats in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins condemning efforts by the department to reorganize, relocate, and rename the Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services (FNS) mission area.
“Millions of Americans, including children, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities, depend on the federal nutrition programs administered by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to put food on their tables. SNAP, WIC, school meals, and after-school and summer nutrition programs require a deeply experienced, well-staffed agency to function. At a time when food prices remain elevated, and families across the country are struggling, this reorganization moves in exactly the wrong direction,” wrote the Lawmakers.
“FNS has already lost nearly 30 percent of its workforce since the start of this administration, primarily due to the dismissal of probationary employees, deferred resignation, and early retirement offers. This reorganization will accelerate that attrition further, leaving critical nutrition programs even more dangerously short-staffed at precisely the moment when they are needed most. These disruptions are likely to be long-lasting, as relocation to new geographic areas will create additional challenges for recruiting and retaining a strong workforce.”
As Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture, Congresswoman Hayes has been a champion in the fight to end hunger in the United States and globally. Congresswoman Hayes introduced the Restoring Food Security for Farmers and Families Act to repeal the $187 billion cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that was enacted as part of H.R. 1. Additionally, she led her colleagues in sending a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting the agency produce a report assessing the effects of Trump Administration policies on the delivery of international food aid.
The letter is signed by Representatives Gabe Amo (RI-01), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Sanford Bishop Jr. (GA-02), Nanette Barragán (CA- 44), Shontel Brown (OH-11), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Angie Craig (MN-02), Danny Davis (IL-07), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Adriano Espaillat (CA-13), Cleo Fields (LA-06), Jesús García (IL-04), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Daniel Goldman (NY-10), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Tim Kennedy (NY-26), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Lucy McBath (GA-06), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), James McGovern (MA-02), Analilia Mejia (NJ-11), Dave Min (CA-47), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Josh Riley (NY-19), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Haley Stevens (MI-11), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Nydia Velazquez (NY-07), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), and Nikema Williams (GA-05).
Full text of the letter is available here.