WASHINGTON, DC – PA U.S. Sen. John Fetterman has introduced legislation canceling school lunch debt. The Democrat said he’s proud to introduce this bill to cancel the nation’s student meal debt and stop humiliating kids and penalizing hunger. He added that September is Hunger Action Month and the bill will help working families now, while working to combat food insecurity in our nation. There are over 30 million children in the U.S. who can’t afford their school meals and the national public school meal debt is $262 million a year. In PA alone, there are nearly half a million food insecure children who collectively owe nearly $80 million in debt. Meanwhile, child poverty in the U.S. more than doubled last year, while the average household income declined. Fetterman’s bill will direct the USDA to pay for all debts owed to schools for lunch or breakfast programs.
SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN