Good afternoon,
Sweet potatoes, squash, and brussels sprouts - oh my! Fall festivities are in full swing and fall foods are hitting the shelves now that it's mid-October. Visit a nearby farm to pick apples or pumpkins perfect for pie-making or stop by a farmers' market for some local, <a href="[link removed]">seasonal produce</a> that will get you in the mood to hang Halloween decorations and rewatch your favorite spooky movies.
A HOUSE IN DISARRAY
While we're on the subject of horror movies, the will-they-won't-they of the House speaker elections has been part dark comedy, part <a href="[link removed]">thriller</a>. Today's first attempt to elect a Speaker of the House of Representatives once again failed to go anywhere, as votes for Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, fell short. <a href="[link removed]">Time is fleeting</a>: Congress only has a month to pass 12 appropriations bills to keep the government running - one of which is the critical Agriculture-FDA bill. Without a speaker, the House has a narrowing window to get all bills across the finish line. They've already allowed the Farm Bill to lapse, putting <a href="[link removed]">several programs</a> on pause, including conservation programs and safety net enrollments, as well as a ban on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) <a href="[link removed]">card processing fees</a>. The lapsed ban could raise costs for grocery stores, hike food prices, and discourage them from participating in federal food assistance programs. A new Farm Bill or at least an extension must be passed by December 31, when funding will run out entirely and agriculture programs will revert to permanent law that was authored in the early 1930s and '40s. Rural America deserves better - it needs a Farm Bill that will help bring communities the infrastructure and amenities of the 21st century. <a href="[link removed]">See OCP's priorities for the new Farm Bill here.</a>
LET THEM LUNCH
Last week, the nation celebrated <a href="[link removed]">National School Lunch Week</a>. The National School Lunch Program serves nearly 30 million children every school day, reducing childhood hunger (and <a href="[link removed]">supporting American agriculture</a> at the same time). In 2020, the federal government extended free lunches to all schools to preserve food security during the pandemic. That program, along with the pandemic-era <a href="[link removed]">SNAP benefits</a> and the <a href="[link removed]">child tax credit extension</a> - all of which have been effective in reducing child hunger and poverty - has now ended. The child poverty rate <a href="[link removed]">more than doubled</a>, from 5.2 percent in 2021 to <a href="[link removed]">12.4 percent in 2022</a>. Eight states - California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Vermont - have taken matters into their own hands and passed Healthy School Meals for All (HSMFA) policies so that all students can eat breakfast and lunch for free at school. HSMFA policies help to ensure that children are <a href="[link removed](23)00301-5/fulltext">healthy</a> and <a href="[link removed]">well-prepared</a> to receive an education. Plus, last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture <a href="[link removed]">expanded the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)</a>, which allows schools to provide meals at no cost depending on how many people in a school's community use income-dependent federal assistance programs. The latest rule lowered the threshold from 40 percent of students who live in assisted households to 25 percent. <a href="[link removed]">Find out if schools in your community qualify for CEP!</a>
ONE COUNTRY IN THE NEWS
OCP founder former U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp appeared on <a href="[link removed]">CNBC's Last Call</a> to discuss Venezuelan sanctions and U.S. energy prices.
ICYMI
New York Times: <a href="[link removed]">Israel and Palestinians Blame Each Other for Blast at Gaza Hospital That Killed Hundreds</a>
NPR: <a href="[link removed]">Are rural Americans turning against US support of Ukraine?</a>
USA Today: <a href="[link removed]">Maternity units closing in Alabama: Pregnant women have to travel further for care</a>
WUNC: <a href="[link removed]">In rural Mitchell County, telehealth thrives in one town, falters in another</a>
KOSU: <a href="[link removed]">Oklahoma military families could soon get financial help for child care services</a>
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: <a href="[link removed]">States are trying to prop up the child care industry. It isn't enough.</a>
New York Times: <a href="[link removed]">How a Fertilizer Shortage Is Spreading Desperate Hunger</a>
Bloomberg: <a href="[link removed]">Florida's Battered Orange Growers Are Cashing In on a Housing Boom</a>
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