Al Lawson targets campus hunger in new bill
Al Lawson is working to help solve the student hunger problem. (Photo: A.G. Gancarski)

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"Food insecurity is a real concern"

Hunger is a problem for many K-12 students, but just because they move on to college doesn’t mean food insecurity ends.

To combat this problem, Democrats in the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate have filed legislation intended to help feed those students without resources for regular meals.

The College Student Hunger Act of 2019 would allow more students to access SNAP benefits, such as if they receive the maximum Pell Grant award, are in foster care, a veteran of the Armed Forces, or are classified as an unaccompanied youth who is homeless.

“Food insecurity is a real concern for many college students across our nation,” U.S. Rep. Al Lawson, a second term Tallahassee Democrat who introduced the House version, said.

“The significant increase in college tuition over the last decade has forced students to make a choice between buying food or paying for books and housing expenditures,” Lawson added.

“This bill will help to relieve some of that financial burden for them. I am proud to work with Sen. Warren to introduce this critical piece of legislation,” Lawson added.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a current candidate for President, noted that “nearly one-in-three college students cannot even afford basic necessities like food.”

“Our bill will ensure students have the support they need as they work hard toward a better future without going hungry,” Warren added.

A second Democratic Presidential candidate, California Sen. Kamala Harris, is a co-sponsor of the bill in the Senate.

Meanwhile, Florida Democrats Darren Soto and Alcee Hastings co-sponsor the House version.

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has written for FloridaPolitics.com since 2014. He is based in Northeast Florida. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


3 comments

  • Ray Blacklidge

    July 17, 2019 at 2:04 pm

    I really don’t like being the naysayer here however, I made it through College on Macaroni & Cheese and Tuna. My kids made it through on ramen noodles. How much are we going to cuddle college men & women?

  • Jane

    July 17, 2019 at 10:50 pm

    I could see subsidizing a free lunch program. But giving them an EBT card to sell to get their drugs is ridiculous but just what I would expect from these tax & spend Democrats!

  • Jane

    July 17, 2019 at 10:54 pm

    I could go along with a subsidized free lunch program provided by the school. But more of my tax dollars going to pay for an EBT card that will get sold to buy drugs is just what I would expect from our tax and spend Democrats!

Comments are closed.


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