Dear John,

After a very productive week, I am writing with an update from the Weekly Wrap, a recap of the week in Congress, and highlights of my work.

Last week, the House Committee on Agriculture convened a hearing entitled Innovation, Employment, Integrity, and Health: Opportunities for Modernization in Title IV, the first hearing the Committee has held on the Nutrition Title of the 2023 Farm Bill reauthorization. The Task Force on Agriculture and Nutrition in the 21st Century also held its first meeting. On Friday, I hosted a roundtable discussion on nutrition with End Hunger Connecticut! and Connecticut Foodshare at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain. During the roundtable, we were joined by Connecticut Commissioner of Agriculture Bryan Hurlburt, who announced the release of the Connecticut Department of Agriculture's Diversity, Equity Inclusion Working Group Report. On Monday, Farm Bill conversations continued as U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary Jennifer Moffitt returned to Connecticut to celebrate the one million pounds of food secured through the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Assistance Program (LFPA).

More from the week: On Friday, I joined Representative John Larson in Farmington to announce the introduction of the Social Security 2100 Act, legislation to permanently improve the long-term health of Social Security. Additionally, I attended the Sandy Hook Promise Annual Gala honoring champions for common sense gun legislation. Lastly, I attended Pride celebrations in  Danbury and New Preston. 

For the full recap, please read below.

Innovation, Employment, Integrity, and Health: Opportunities for Modernization in Title IV

The House Committee on Agriculture held a full committee hearing, “Innovation, Employment, Integrity, and Health: Opportunities for Modernization in Title IV” - the first hearing the Committee has held on the nutrition title of the Farm Bill. This is critically important as 80% of the funding in the Farm Bill falls under the nutrition title. 
 
During my remarks, I focused on protecting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), one of the country’s largest anti-hunger, anti-poverty initiatives, on which more than 42 million Americans depend. This includes 108,000 Connecticut children.

In her comments, Assistant Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services Tiki Brown highlighted how programs like the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) can help SNAP recipients purchase fruits and vegetables and support local farmers.

Further, the Task Force on Agriculture and Nutrition in the 21st Century held its first meeting. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries created the task force to strategize around agriculture policy and safeguard essential programs like SNAP, WIC, and Meals on Wheels that address food insecurity among children and older Americans. As a member of the task force, I am working with my Democratic colleagues to ensure critical food assistance programs remain protected. 

Nutrition Roundtable

On Friday, I hosted a roundtable discussion on nutrition with End Hunger Connecticut!  and Connecticut Foodshare at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain. During this important conversation, community members, advocates, and stakeholders discussed the importance of food security and advocated for robust funding in the 2023 Farm Bill.

The roundtable offered meaningful insight that I will bring back to the Committee on Agriculture as I continue to push for legislative action to close disparities and keep children and families fed.

During the conversation, we were joined by Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt of the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, who discussed the importance of supporting all farmers – small and beginning family operations, BIPOC farmers, and women. 

Commissioner Hurlburt also announced the release of Connecticut Agriculture’s Diversity, Equity Inclusion Working Group Report.

 To listen to this important conversation, please click here.

A Win for Connecticut Agriculture

Farm Bill 2023 conversations continued on Monday as U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary Jennifer Moffitt returned to Connecticut to celebrate the one million pounds of food secured through the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Assistance Program (LFPA). LFPA provides funding for state, tribal, and territorial governments to purchase foods produced in the state or within 400 miles of the delivery destination to help support local, regional, and under served producers. These initiatives will promote a more robust agriculture community and ensure we are  equipped to combat food insecurity.

Social Security 2100

On Friday, I joined Representative John Larson in Farmington to announce the introduction of Social Security 2100, legislation to permanently improve the long-term health of Social Security.

Specifically, the legislation increases benefits by an average 2% for all social security beneficiaries for the first time in 52 years. The legislation also improves the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) to account for inflation experienced by seniors and repeals the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) that currently penalizes many public servants. 

Social Security is a crucial safety net program that serves so many in our communities – including the elderly, children, and disabled individuals. As these benefits continue to come under attack, the time to protect social security solvency is now.

Additional information on the event is available here.

Sandy Hook Promise Annual Gala

Sandy Hook Promise is a national nonprofit organization founded and led by family members whose loved ones were tragically lost at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012. Based in Newtown, the organization honors victims of gun violence, turning their tragedy into action.

Last week, the group held its annual gala honoring Promise Champions Senator Chris Murphy and Senator John Cornyn.  I will continue to support common-sense gun legislation that protects our children from gun violence and prevents tragedies before they happen.

Thank you, Sandy Hook Promise and the 2023 Promise Champions for your important work.

A Celebration of PRIDE

During the month of June, communities across the nation come together to celebrate Pride Month. During this time, we honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. Additionally, we recognize the legacy and impact of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) individuals who have contributed to our shared histories.

On Saturday, I joined Apex Community Care, Danbury Pride, Danbury Mayor Dean Esposito, and State Senator Julie Kushner for the first pride event in the city. The event featured several performances from musicians and comedians from across the state. Congratulations, Will Love of Apex Community Care and Danbury Pride, on the success of your inaugural event.

The festivities continued in New Preston, where I joined community members spreading equality and inclusivity for all.

As a member of the Congressional Equality Caucus, I am committed to using my agency, my advocacy, my voice, and my vote to protect the LGBTQIA+ community.

And that’s a wrap!

 Thank you for taking the time to read this update. As always, please continue to share your thoughts and priorities with me. 

Jahana Hayes

Member of Congress