Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA), Chairman of the House Rules Committee, issued this statement following the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) concluding a congressionally-mandated review of Thrifty Food Plan guidelines:

“Even before COVID hit, too many people in my district and across America couldn’t afford the basic human right of access to nutritious food. By carefully reviewing the Thrifty Food Plan as Congress required in our bipartisan 2018 Farm Bill—and modernizing prices to align with the real cost of a healthy diet—the USDA is bringing federal nutrition assistance programs in line with evidence-based research showing that increasing benefits prevents hunger and improves health.

“Thank you President Biden and Secretary Vilsack for responding to Congressional calls for action and caring deeply about the needs of food insecure families. But our work is just beginning. Now is the time for a White House conference on food, nutrition, hunger and health so we can build on our progress and put the full weight of the federal government behind ending hunger once and for all.”

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As Chairman of the Rules Committee, McGovern is organizing a nationwide push of roundtables, committee hearings, site visits, opinion pieces, and television appearances to demand an end to hunger and push the Biden administration to hold a substantive, policy-based, action-oriented White House conference to develop a comprehensive nationwide plan to end hunger in America. 171+ food, nutrition, hunger & health groups, 28 national faith-based organizations, and leading anti-hunger champions such as former U.S. Senator Bob Dole have endorsed McGovern’s idea.