WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Chris Murphy (D-CT) and 14 of their colleagues in sending a letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling for the activation of the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) as an eligible form of Individual Assistance to help college students access critical nutrition assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. College students across the nation have been struggling with food insecurity long before the COVID-19 public health and economic crisis. The pandemic has amplified the need to ensure college students don’t go hungry.
“College students across the nation are facing unprecedented challenges amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. For many, shuttered campuses have exacerbated their food insecurity. In 2019, 39% of America’s college students reported being food insecure within the past 30 days. Food insecurity is more common among students attending two-year and community colleges, and disproportionately affects Black, Latinx, and Indigenous students, students who are parenting, and students who have been in foster care,” said the lawmakers. “Many college communities have woven a safety net for food-insecure students with food pantries, on-campus meal provision, and similar programs, but many of those services are inaccessible during this pandemic due to social distancing and campus shutdowns.”
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They continued, “College students were among the first to experience substantial changes as the nation worked to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. As policymakers, we must bolster protections for our most vulnerable college students during this uncertain time. Opening D-SNAP to college students would ensure their immediate needs are met. We thank you for your urgent attention to this matter.”
Along with Duckworth, Durbin, Harris, Warren, and Murphy, the letter was signed by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Corey Booker (D-NJ), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Ed Markey (D-MA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Mark Warner (D-VA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
