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Friends, No child should go hungry in one of the richest countries in the world. It’s unconscionable that we give out tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires — yet the only time we’re willing to make hot school meals universal is during a pandemic. Study after study shows that children with empty stomachs may have more trouble learning. But for decades schools have deprived children of the nutrition they need and deserve. That’s why I brought forward the Universal School Meals Program Act alongside Senator Bernie Sanders today — bold legislation to ensure that every single child has a hot school meal year-round. It would also reimburse schools’ student meal debt to stop lunch shaming — horrific tactics schools use to punish students who haven’t paid their meal debt, including banning them from school events or giving them a lower-quality meal instead of the hot meals their classmates get. It’s past time to make school meals free, no matter a student’s family income or the time of year, to help level the playing field for kids at school and ensure no child goes hungry. So I’m asking you today:
Thank you for taking the time to read about the fight for equity in our schools. It’s important we build as much grassroots support for this bill as possible, and you becoming a citizen co-sponsor would mean so much to me. In solidarity, Ilhan Omar
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