Vice President Mike Pence speaks after leading a White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing at the Department of Health and Human Services on June 26, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Joshua Roberts/Getty Images)
Jul 08, 2020
An anti-hunger advocate took issue with Vice President Mike Pence's Wednesday claim that fulfilling children's need for "nutrition" is a primary reason for having students return to schools in fall, calling it "the height of child hunger chutzpah."
Pence's remarks came during the latest White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing in which the vice president said it is "absolutely essential" to get students back to school "for in-person learning" and referred to the need of students who rely on school meals.
The comments dew the attention of Hunger Free America--the national non-profit behind the "Hunger Clock" billboard ads shaming Republican senators for blocking $16 billion in food assistance in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
The group said Pence's comments are at odds with Trump administration moves to increase food insecurity by trying to push millions off of food stamps and threatening to block 500,000 kids from access to free school lunches.
Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America, said in statement that he acknowledged "the health of many children is harmed when they miss school meals when schools are closed." But, he stressed, the vice president's stated concern for addressing child hunger should be met with suspicion.
"I am glad Vice President Pence is citing the importance of school meals, but troubled that he might be using them as an excuse to override all other public health concerns," said Berg.
The Trump-Pence administration, he continued, "has consistently sought to decrease the ability of children to obtain school meals and other federally-funded nutrition assistance. It's the height of child hunger chutzpah for an administration that has worked to take food away from hungry children to say kids should be sent back to potentially dangerous schools just to avoid hunger."
Berg pointed to the HEROES Act, a stimulus package passed in May by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives, as legislation needed to begin to tackle unmet nutritional needs.
"If the Trump/Pence Administration really wanted to ensure improved child nutrition--whether or not kids go back to school quickly this fall--it should drop its opposition to the HEROES Act," said Berg, noting that the legislation "would provide more than $16 billion worth of nutrition assistance to families with children."
The new comments came the same day President Donald Trump ramped up his push for schools to open in fall, regardless of the status of the pandemic, by threatening to withhold federal aid if schools don't reopen then.
\u201cDonald Trump, famous advocate of countries with universal health care.\u201d— Public Citizen (@Public Citizen) 1594216197
On Tuesday, a coalition representing millions of American teachers and parents criticized Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for their push to reopen schools, warning in a joint statement that "without a comprehensive plan that includes federal resources to provide for the safety of our students and educators with funding for personal protective equipment, socially distanced instruction, and addressing racial inequity, we could be putting students, their families, and educators in danger."
The U.S. set another single-day record on Tuesday with over 60,000 new Covid-19 cases.
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
An anti-hunger advocate took issue with Vice President Mike Pence's Wednesday claim that fulfilling children's need for "nutrition" is a primary reason for having students return to schools in fall, calling it "the height of child hunger chutzpah."
Pence's remarks came during the latest White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing in which the vice president said it is "absolutely essential" to get students back to school "for in-person learning" and referred to the need of students who rely on school meals.
The comments dew the attention of Hunger Free America--the national non-profit behind the "Hunger Clock" billboard ads shaming Republican senators for blocking $16 billion in food assistance in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
The group said Pence's comments are at odds with Trump administration moves to increase food insecurity by trying to push millions off of food stamps and threatening to block 500,000 kids from access to free school lunches.
Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America, said in statement that he acknowledged "the health of many children is harmed when they miss school meals when schools are closed." But, he stressed, the vice president's stated concern for addressing child hunger should be met with suspicion.
"I am glad Vice President Pence is citing the importance of school meals, but troubled that he might be using them as an excuse to override all other public health concerns," said Berg.
The Trump-Pence administration, he continued, "has consistently sought to decrease the ability of children to obtain school meals and other federally-funded nutrition assistance. It's the height of child hunger chutzpah for an administration that has worked to take food away from hungry children to say kids should be sent back to potentially dangerous schools just to avoid hunger."
Berg pointed to the HEROES Act, a stimulus package passed in May by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives, as legislation needed to begin to tackle unmet nutritional needs.
"If the Trump/Pence Administration really wanted to ensure improved child nutrition--whether or not kids go back to school quickly this fall--it should drop its opposition to the HEROES Act," said Berg, noting that the legislation "would provide more than $16 billion worth of nutrition assistance to families with children."
The new comments came the same day President Donald Trump ramped up his push for schools to open in fall, regardless of the status of the pandemic, by threatening to withhold federal aid if schools don't reopen then.
\u201cDonald Trump, famous advocate of countries with universal health care.\u201d— Public Citizen (@Public Citizen) 1594216197
On Tuesday, a coalition representing millions of American teachers and parents criticized Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for their push to reopen schools, warning in a joint statement that "without a comprehensive plan that includes federal resources to provide for the safety of our students and educators with funding for personal protective equipment, socially distanced instruction, and addressing racial inequity, we could be putting students, their families, and educators in danger."
The U.S. set another single-day record on Tuesday with over 60,000 new Covid-19 cases.
An anti-hunger advocate took issue with Vice President Mike Pence's Wednesday claim that fulfilling children's need for "nutrition" is a primary reason for having students return to schools in fall, calling it "the height of child hunger chutzpah."
Pence's remarks came during the latest White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing in which the vice president said it is "absolutely essential" to get students back to school "for in-person learning" and referred to the need of students who rely on school meals.
The comments dew the attention of Hunger Free America--the national non-profit behind the "Hunger Clock" billboard ads shaming Republican senators for blocking $16 billion in food assistance in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
The group said Pence's comments are at odds with Trump administration moves to increase food insecurity by trying to push millions off of food stamps and threatening to block 500,000 kids from access to free school lunches.
Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America, said in statement that he acknowledged "the health of many children is harmed when they miss school meals when schools are closed." But, he stressed, the vice president's stated concern for addressing child hunger should be met with suspicion.
"I am glad Vice President Pence is citing the importance of school meals, but troubled that he might be using them as an excuse to override all other public health concerns," said Berg.
The Trump-Pence administration, he continued, "has consistently sought to decrease the ability of children to obtain school meals and other federally-funded nutrition assistance. It's the height of child hunger chutzpah for an administration that has worked to take food away from hungry children to say kids should be sent back to potentially dangerous schools just to avoid hunger."
Berg pointed to the HEROES Act, a stimulus package passed in May by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives, as legislation needed to begin to tackle unmet nutritional needs.
"If the Trump/Pence Administration really wanted to ensure improved child nutrition--whether or not kids go back to school quickly this fall--it should drop its opposition to the HEROES Act," said Berg, noting that the legislation "would provide more than $16 billion worth of nutrition assistance to families with children."
The new comments came the same day President Donald Trump ramped up his push for schools to open in fall, regardless of the status of the pandemic, by threatening to withhold federal aid if schools don't reopen then.
\u201cDonald Trump, famous advocate of countries with universal health care.\u201d— Public Citizen (@Public Citizen) 1594216197
On Tuesday, a coalition representing millions of American teachers and parents criticized Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for their push to reopen schools, warning in a joint statement that "without a comprehensive plan that includes federal resources to provide for the safety of our students and educators with funding for personal protective equipment, socially distanced instruction, and addressing racial inequity, we could be putting students, their families, and educators in danger."
The U.S. set another single-day record on Tuesday with over 60,000 new Covid-19 cases.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.