McGovern, Jim RSS Articles

27 Members of Congress Release Joint Statement on Massie Amendment to Republican Foreign Aid Budget Bill

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON—Today, 27 Members of Congress, led by Congressman Jim McGovern, Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee, released the following statement in advance of voting yes on Amendment #8, which would halt certain U.S. funding to Israel, to the National Security, Department of State and Related Programs Appropriations Act:

“As Members of Congress, it is our duty to ensure that our constituents’ hard-earned money is used in a way that advances America’s interests and values. For this reason, we do not support providing an additional $3.3 billion of American taxpayer dollars to be used for Israeli military operations in Gaza and Lebanon—operations which have killed tens of thousands of civilians, led to the indiscriminate destruction of civilian infrastructure, and caused severe and ongoing humanitarian catastrophes. These are just the latest in a long string of human rights violations inflicted on Palestinian civilians. For nearly six decades, Israeli security forces and military authorities have enforced the occupation of the Palestinian territories, including through restrictions on freedom of movement, arbitrary detention, torture, and extrajudicial killings. It is clear that existing human rights conditions on the use of American security assistance have not been meaningfully enforced. Enough is enough.

“Palestinians and Israelis alike deserve peace, freedom, security, stability, and self-determination. Those aims will only be achieved when their inherent dignity and inalienable rights are at the center of U.S. policy in the region. Diplomacy is the answer, and as long as America provides constant funding for more war, peace will always remain out of reach.

“Our vote should not be interpreted as opposition to initiatives such as the Nita M. Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act programs or others that foster people-to-people engagement, strengthen civil society, and advance the long-term prospects for a just and lasting peace. We remain committed to supporting these and similar programs while ensuring that U.S. taxpayer dollars advance peace, security, and American interests and values.”

The statement was released by Representatives: Becca Balint (D-VT), Don Beyer (D-VA), Greg Casar (D-TX), Judy Chu (D-CA), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Maxine Dexter (D-OR), John Garamendi (D-CA), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (D-IL), Adelita S. Grijalva (D-AZ), Val Hoyle (D-OR), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL), Emily Randall (D-WA), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Lateefah Simon (D-CA), Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), Jill N. Tokuda (D-HI), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), and Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY).

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McGovern, Casar Introduce Fair Seeds for Farmers Act to Address Affordability Crisis, Put America’s Farmers and Families Ahead of Billionaire Big Ag Corporations

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON—Today, Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Congressman Greg Casar (D-TX) introduced the Fair Seeds for Farmers Act, new legislation aimed to break up Big Ag, protect farmers, lower food costs, and strengthen the U.S. food system by curbing corporate abuse of seed patents.

The legislation comes as a small number of giant multinational conglomerates exercise increasing control over the seeds that are vital for planting crops and growing food. These companies use sweeping patent claims and threats of litigation to essentially control what farmers plant and force them to buy expensive products—driving up costs for those that grow food and those who buy it at the grocery store.

“Food is one of the most basic promises we make to one another: that the people who grow it can make a decent living, and the families they feed can afford to eat. But right now, that promise has been broken thanks to billionaire Big Ag conglomerates who are ripping off both the farmers at the beginning of the food chain and the hardworking folks at the end of it,” said Congressman Jim McGovern. “We have a system right now in this country where corporate giants are pocketing massive profits—ripping off farmers and in turn ripping off families buying food at the grocery store. It’s wrong, and our bill is about starting to change the broken status quo by rebuilding America’s food system from the ground up.”

“Every working American knows that groceries are just too expensive,” said Congressman Greg Casar. “By abusing seed patents, big ag companies are putting family farms out of business and driving up the price of food for everyone else. I’m proud to be working with Rep. McGovern on this new bill, which is a key part of the Progressive Caucus’ New Affordability Agenda.”

"Seeds are a foundational building block of our food system—and farmers need seeds that are publicly available and adapted to organic and sustainable production in their bioregion. Our food system is at dire risk when seed intellectual property ownership resides with corporations motivated solely by their bottom line. Seed-dominating corporations leverage utility patents to restrict access to innovative and adaptable seed varieties and reduce competition. For decades, RAFI has called for reforms to seed intellectual property law that restore grower sovereignty over seeds. By limiting corporate control over seed and plant intellectual property, the Fair Seeds for Farmers Act will empower seed breeders across the food system to add to the collective biodiversity of seed and develop varieties more resilient to weather, pest, and disease pressures,” said Aaron Johnson, Policy Co-Director, Rural Advancement Foundation International.

“The hyperconsolidation and commodification of seeds has eroded farmers’ resilience and diminished the agrobiodiversity of crops cultivated in the US at an alarming rate. Farmers play an important role in seed development by nurturing adaptable seed varieties that can help create a more resilient and affordable food system - yet commodification has recently hindered farmers ability to participate in this essential first component of farming. The Fair Seeds for Farmers Act takes an important step in curtailing corporate abuse of US Patent Law and reaffirms farmers and researchers ability to breed, experiment, propagate, and save seeds without fear of retaliation from large seed companies,” said Nick Rossi, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Policy Specialist.

The Fair Seeds for Farmers Act is part of the Congressional Progressive Caucus’s New Affordability Agenda, a slate of proposals to address the nation’s cost-of-living crisis by making essential goods and services cheaper, putting more money back into families’ pockets, and taking on wealthy special interests that have rigged the economy against working people. Specifically, the legislation would:

Limit the patentability of seeds to the protections available under the Plant Variety Protection Act and the Plant Patent Act. The change would apply to pending and future patents while leaving existing patents unaffected.
Prevent corporate seed companies from restricting farmers and researchers from breeding, experimenting with, propagating, or saving seeds, including through burdensome contracts.
Define key plant-breeding terms under federal law to protect the integrity of intellectual property claims involving seeds and plants.

By reducing excessive corporate control over seeds, the bill would give farmers greater control over what they grow, protect independent seed companies and public research, and help lower costs at the beginning of the food supply chain.

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McGovern Leading 80 Members of Congress Urging DHS to Extend Temporary Protected Status for El Salvador

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON—80 Members of Congress, led by Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, sent a letter yesterday afternoon urging U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to extend the Temporary Protected Status designation for El Salvador, which is currently set to expire on September 9, 2026.

“Not only do the conditions that initially warranted TPS designation for El Salvador in 2001 persist, but serious new humanitarian, economic, and human rights crises compound El Salvador’s inability to handle the return of its nationals,” write the lawmakers in their letter. “The over 200,000 Salvadoran TPS holders currently living in the United States have built deep roots in this country over more than 25 years. Terminating their status would cause immeasurable harm to them, to their U.S.-citizen children and families, and to the American communities and economy they support.”

Salvadoran TPS holders make substantial contributions to the American economy. Nine out of ten Salvadoran TPS holders participate in the U.S. workforce, contributing $5.4 billion to the economy and paying $1.5 billion in federal, state, and local taxes annually. They work in industries facing chronic labor shortages, including construction, transportation, manufacturing, food service, and building and grounds maintenance. Many have lived here lawfully for more than 25 years, building businesses, working in critical industries, paying taxes, and raising families. More than 150,000 children, all U.S. citizens, have a Salvadoran TPS-holder parent in the American workforce. Despite decades of lawful residence and deep ties to the United States, many TPS holders have no available pathway to permanent status under current immigration law. Approximately 20% of Salvadoran TPS holders arrived in the United States at age 16 or younger. Forcing them to leave would mean removal to a country where they have few ties and would be at risk of violence.

The new letter also details the grave human rights conditions Salvadoran TPS holders could face if deported. Human rights organizations in El Salvador have documented mass arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances, mass trials, the detention of more than 3,000 children, and more than 500 deaths in custody since 2022. Independent reports have also found that migrants deported to El Salvador are commonly incarcerated upon arrival without judicial review or due process. Under federal law, TPS must be extended when conditions prevent a designated country from adequately handling the return of its nationals.

“Ongoing state-sponsored human rights violations, a state of exception with no end in sight, economic fragility, collapsed public services, and documented patterns of detaining and disappearing deportees all confirm that El Salvador cannot handle the return of its nationals at this time,” write the lawmakers.

The statutory standard for TPS stipulates that TPS must be extended if the designated country is unable to adequately handle the return of its nationals.

“El Salvador clearly meets that standard today,” conclude the lawmakers.

The letter is endorsed by the National TPS Alliance, American Business Immigration Coalition, Allianza Americas, National Day Laborer Organizing Network, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), CASA, CARCEN-LA, FWD.us, and the National Domestic Workers Alliance.

The full text of the letter is available here.

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McGovern has championed Temporary Protected Status since helping to create the program as a congressional staffer more than three decades ago. Throughout his career, he has been a global voice for human rights, using his position as Co-Chair of the bipartisan Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission to defend political prisoners, protect vulnerable communities, and hold governments accountable for human rights abuses around the world.

McGovern, Smith, Khanna lead Bipartisan Group of 14 House Lawmakers Asking State Department to Condemn Chinese Government’s harmful “Ethnic Unity Law”

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON—United States Congressmen Jim McGovern (D-MA), Chris Smith (R-NJ), and Ro Khanna (D-CA) today announced that a bipartisan group of 14 House lawmakers sent a letter asking Secretary of State Marco Rubio to condemn the People’s Republic of China’s Ethnic Unity Law as a tool of forced assimilation, ideological control, and transnational repression.

“Far from promoting genuine equality among ethnic groups, this law codifies and expands the Chinese Communist Party’s majoritarian campaign of forced assimilation against Tibetans, Uyghurs, Southern Mongolians, and other non-Han Chinese communities,” wrote the lawmakers in their letter. “We respectfully urge the Department of State to respond publicly and forcefully to this law before it goes into effect on July 1, 2026, and to make clear that the United States rejects the CCP’s attempt to disguise forced assimilation as “ethnic unity.”

The so-called Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress was adopted by China’s National People’s Congress on March 12, 2026, and goes into effect on July 1, 2026. The law contradicts and undermines the PRC’s own constitutional and legal guarantees of regional ethnic autonomy, and codifies and expands the CCP’s majoritarian campaign of forced assimilation against Tibetans, Uyghurs, Southern Mongolians, and other non-Han Chinese communities.

Specifically, the letter calls on Secretary Rubio to:

Publicly condemn the law, raise it with PRC officials, and coordinate with like-minded governments to address it in bilateral dialogues, at the UN Human Rights Council, and through relevant UN treaty bodies and Special Procedures;

Prioritize the protection of Tibetan, Uyghur, Mongolian, and other minority-language education, religious freedom, and cultural preservation through U.S. policy and programming;

Strengthen U.S. efforts to counter PRC transnational repression; and

Strengthen enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and work with like-minded allies to expand enforcement.

The letter was also signed by Representatives Michael T. McCaul (R-TX), Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ), Jim Costa (D-CA), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Jonathan L. Jackson (D-IL), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Johnny Olszewski, Jr. (D-MD), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA), Thomas R. Suozzi (D-NY), and James R. Walkinshaw (D-VA).

The full text of the letter is available here.

20 Members of Congress Release Joint Statement Affirming Colombia’s Sovereignty & Rejecting U.S. Election Interference

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON—Today, 20 Members of Congress led by Representative Jim McGovern (MA-02) released the following statement condemning efforts by U.S. elected officials to interfere in Colombia’s presidential election and reaffirming that Colombia’s future must be decided by the Colombian people alone:

“We strongly support the sovereignty of the people of Colombia and their right to determine the future of their country. The peoples of the United States and Colombia have enjoyed two centuries of friendship and partnership, with democracy as a core shared value. We wholeheartedly support the right of the Colombian people to exercise their democratic freedoms.

“Colombia is in the middle of national elections that will determine the country’s next president. The right to select that president belongs to the people of Colombia, and to the people of Colombia alone.

“We see actions by U.S. President Donald Trump and other Members of Congress to endorse, advocate for, or otherwise tip the scales to a particular candidate as detrimental to the democratic rights of the Colombian people, an insult to their sovereignty and integrity, and wholly inconsistent with long-standing U.S. principles of non-interference in foreign elections. The future of Colombia must be decided by the Colombian people—not American politicians with their own agenda.

“We look forward to working with whomever is democratically elected to advance relations between Colombia and the United States.”
McGovern was joined by Representatives Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Greg Casar (TX-35), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Adelita S. Grijalva (AZ-07), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Summer Lee (PA-12), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38), Janice D. Schakowsky (IL-09), Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07).

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Spanish translation below:

WASHINGTON—Hoy, 20 Miembros del Congreso, liderados por el representante Jim McGovern (MA-02), emitieron la siguiente declaración condenando los esfuerzos de funcionarios electos estadounidenses por interferir en las elecciones presidenciales de Colombia y reafirmando que el futuro de Colombia debe ser decidido únicamente por el pueblo colombiano:

“Apoyamos firmemente la soberanía del pueblo de Colombia y su derecho a determinar el futuro de su país. Los pueblos de Estados Unidos y Colombia han disfrutado de dos siglos de amistad y asociación, con la democracia como valor común central. Apoyamos de todo corazón el derecho del pueblo colombiano a ejercer sus libertades democráticas.

“Colombia está en medio de elecciones nacionales que determinarán al próximo presidente del país. El derecho a elegir a ese presidente pertenece al pueblo de Colombia, y solo al pueblo de Colombia.

“Consideramos las acciones del presidente de los Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, y otros miembros del Congreso para respaldar, abogar o inclinar la balanza a favor de un candidato en particular como perjudicial para los derechos democráticos del pueblo colombiano, un insulto a su soberanía e integridad y totalmente inconsistente con los principios estadounidenses de larga data de no injerencia en las elecciones extranjeras. El futuro de Colombia debe ser decidido por el pueblo colombiano, no por los políticos estadounidenses con su propia agenda.

“Trabajaremos con quien sea elegido democráticamente para avanzar relaciones entre Colombia y los Estados Unidos”

A McGovern se unieron los representantes Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Greg Casar (TX-35), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Adelita S. Grijalva (AZ-07), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Summer Lee (PA-12), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38), Janice D. Schakowsky (IL-09), Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) y Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07).

McGovern, Markey, Van Hollen, Dean, Dexter Lead 57 Congressional Democrats in Demanding Medical Evacuations for Palestinian Cancer Patients

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON—Today, Representative James P. McGovern, Senators Ed Markey and Chris Van Hollen, and Representatives Madeleine Dean and Maxine Dexter led 57 of their colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding the Administration take immediate action to alleviate the humanitarian crisis facing cancer patients in Gaza.

In their letter, the lawmakers called on the Administration to press the Israeli government to reestablish a medical corridor that would allow Palestinian cancer patients in Gaza to obtain life-saving medical care in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. The lawmakers also demanded that the Administration ensure hospitals and medical infrastructure in Gaza are rebuilt and protected.

“Cancer diagnoses have become death sentences in Gaza,” wrote the lawmakers in their letter. “It is imperative that the United States and its regional partners urge the Israeli government to reestablish a medical pathway for cancer patients in Gaza to receive life-saving treatment in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.”

The letter highlighted a six-year-old boy named Ghazal, who was diagnosed with leukemia and died while waiting for his evacuation request to be approved by the Israeli government. The lawmakers noted that more than 18,500 Palestinians require urgent medical care that is unavailable in Gaza, including approximately 11,000 cancer patients.

The lawmakers provided five recommendations for Administration action:

• Engage the governments of Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye in a coordinated diplomatic effort to secure medical evacuations for pediatric cancer patients and their caregivers from Gaza to appropriate medical facilities in East Jerusalem and the West Bank;

• Facilitate the reestablishment of the medical corridor between Gaza and East Jerusalem and the West Bank for all patients requiring medical evacuation;

• Obtain assurances from the Israeli government that evacuated patients and caregivers will be permitted to return to Gaza once they are able;

• Ensure that Palestinians can rebuild and protect hospitals and medical infrastructure in Gaza; and

• Respond to all questions raised in a November 2025 letter by Senator Markey and Representative Dexter.

The full text of the letter is available here.

McGovern, McCaul Introduce Legislation to Assure Continued Engagement with the Tibetan People After the Dalai Lama

Tue, 26 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, U.S. Representatives James P. McGovern (MA-02) and Michael McCaul (TX-10) introduced legislation to strengthen the United States’s commitment to the aspirations of the Tibetan people for human rights and dignity. The ‘‘Assuring the Future of Tibet Act of 2026” would empower the U.S. government to continue its engagement with the Central Tibetan Administration after the 14^th Dalai Lama has passed.

“Congress has a long-standing abiding interest in resolving the dispute between Tibet and China,” said Congressman McGovern. “Sadly, the Dalai Lama won’t be with us forever. We must ensure that the U.S. government has the authority and the tools to continue its advocacy for the fundamental human rights of the Tibetan people. Essential to this effort, we must support the Central Tibetan Administration as the legitimate, democratically elected representative of the Tibetan people.

"Decades after the Dalai Lama and his people fled the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution on a perilous journey to India, the CCP continues to threaten Tibetans’ faith and freedom,” said Congressman McCaul. “As I promised his Holiness when I visited Dharamshala, the United States will always with stand Tibetans in their pursuit of self-determination. I’m proud to support this important bill to permanently cement our commitment to the Tibetan people and guarantee unbreakable ties with their democratic leadership.”

The legislation:

Makes it U.S. policy to maintain engagement with the Tibetan people directly and through their democratically elected leadership and religious and cultural leaders;
States that that the Central Tibetan Administration represents continuity of governance of the Tibetan people as established by the Dalai Lama;
Supports the Tibetan people’s free exercise of their fundamental and universal human rights under international law, including the right to self-determination; and
Affirms commitment to a resolution of the dispute between Tibet and China as a matter of strategic interest to the United States.

To carry out its objectives, the legislation directs the U.S. government to:

Advocate for the Central Tibetan Administration to be given observer status within the United Nations system and in relevant international bodies and groupings;
Grant officials of the Central Tibetan Administration with appropriate senior levels of engagement and diplomatic courtesies by the U.S. government, possibly to include the extension of diplomatic security and privileges and immunities.

The full text of the legislation can be found here.

McGovern Leads House Colleagues Urging Collaborative Approach to Combatting Transnational Crime

Wed, 06 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON—Today, Representative James P. McGovern, Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, led a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing concern over reports that the Administration is considering designating two Brazilian criminal groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). They warned such a move could undermine U.S.-Brazil relations and hinder effective strategies to combat transnational crime.

“We are concerned the Trump Administration’s overuse and weaponization of Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) designations without meeting the clear statutory threshold for terrorist activity could weaken efforts to thwart organized crime in our hemisphere,” the lawmakers wrote, continuing, “[m]oreover, given the Administration’s use of terrorist designations as a justification to commit extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, we are concerned by how the Administration may use such a designation.”

The letter calls on the State Department to provide Congress with clear evidence before pursuing any designation and emphasized that counterterrorism tools must be used responsibly to protect Americans—and not to interfere in Brazil’s internal affairs.

The lawmakers urged the Administration to prioritize diplomatic cooperation, law enforcement collaboration, and multilateral frameworks to address the root causes of organized crime.

The full text of the letter is available here.

McGovern and 27 House Members to Trump Administration: Family Members Deserve to Know Whether Their Relatives Are Being Held in Salvadoran Torture Prison

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON—Today, Representative James P. McGovern (D-MA), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, along with 27 other Members of the House of Representatives, have written a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin demanding information on the individuals sent on deportation flights to El Salvador who are still held incommunicado in the notorious maximum-security torture prison, CECOT, and other prisons.

“We are extremely concerned the U.S. government has denied these individuals the right to challenge these deportations and detentions,” wrote the lawmakers in their letter. “As Members of Congress, it is our moral and official duty to ensure that the United States does not violate international human rights standards by ensuring transparency and accounting of official U.S. acts.”

In March and April 2025, the Trump Administration sent some 30 to 40 Salvadorans, along with more than 200 Venezuelans, to be held in the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador. Multiple reports by international human rights monitors have documented horrific conditions in prisons across El Salvador, including in CECOT, including torture.

While the Venezuelans were repatriated to Venezuela, the status of the deported Salvadorans is largely unknown. Family members of those sent to CECOT and other prisons, and their lawyers, are unable to ascertain information about the health and status of their loved ones, or even if they are still alive.

Specifically, the letter asks for the release of the names, nationalities, and immigration file numbers of every individual from these deportation flights still held incommunicado in CECOT and in other prisons. The lawmakers cite legal and administrative precedents for the release of such information, as well as the fact that the White House has already published some of the names, disproving anticipated arguments that the information cannot be released for national security reasons.

“The U.S. government’s refusal to provide information about these individuals to Congress, the public, and especially their families, amounts to acts of enforced disappearance, a human rights violation under international law. Whether their names are part of the public record or not, all the men who the U.S. government deported to El Salvador deserve due process and equitable treatment, regardless of any criminal misconduct or deportation orders in their past,” conclude the Members of Congress in their letter.

McGovern Leads Bipartisan Effort to Strengthen Federal Focus on Link Between Diet and Chronic Disease

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA), alongside Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), and Emilia Sykes (D-OH), led a bipartisan letter urging Congressional appropriators to provide essential funding to make healthy food and good nutrition a core pillar of America’s healthcare system as part of the FY 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies funding bill.

In the letter to Chairman Robert Aderholt (R-AL) and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), the bipartisan coalition emphasized the urgent need to address diet-related disease and rising healthcare costs through “Food is Medicine” initiatives.

“Good nutrition is fundamental for restoring and maintaining health,” the lawmakers wrote, noting that poor diets have “strong ties to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, gut health, mental health, cancer, and more.”

The lawmakers’ request for federal funding and an enhanced focus on better nutrition comes amid an ongoing surge in the cost of treating diet-related diseases—an increase which is crushing healthcare systems, federal and state budgets, and private employers. Notably, the combined healthcare spending and lost productivity from poor diets and food insecurity are estimated to exceed $1.1 trillion each year, emphasizing the immediate need for congressional action.

“Further action must be taken to support food is medicine efforts,” the lawmakers concluded. “We have it in our power to save lives, improve nutrition, and lower health care costs by directing more federal resources toward better integrating nutrition into our healthcare system.”

Specifically, the bipartisan coalition is requesting targeted investments to expand research on food is medicine at NIH, additional funding for HHS to bolster ongoing food is medicine work and expand access to medically tailored meals and produce prescriptions, enhanced nutrition support through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, and continued efforts to address maternal health by helping clinics provide nutrition services to at-risk mothers.

The full text of the letter is available here.