Congresswoman Stansbury Joins Bipartisan House Hunger Caucus
Congresswoman Stansbury builds on her work addressing food insecurity as a New Mexico state legislator to reimagine food systems and tackle hunger at the national level.
WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01) announced that she will be joining the bipartisan House Hunger Caucus. Stansbury has been a tireless champion on food security and hunger issues, including helping to lead the Hunger Caucus in the State Legislature, convening a statewide food and hunger policy work group, and sponsoring several key pieces of legislation in the State House. Now, Congresswoman Stansbury is taking this fight to Washington.
“In a state where so many families struggle to get by, being able to put food on the table is fundamental to the dignity and well-being of our people,” said Congresswoman Stansbury. “While food and agriculture are integral to our communities and ways of life, one in five New Mexicans experience food insecurity. That is why I am humbled to join the bipartisan Hunger Caucus and build on the work we have been doing in the New Mexico legislature and across the state. The pandemic has laid bare the vulnerabilities in our food system, but also shown the incredible creativity and resilience our communities. I am excited to continue this work with the Hunger Caucus and double down on our efforts to tackle hunger in New Mexico.”
Congresswoman Stansbury recently signed onto key legislation to address childhood hunger, including:
- H.R. 3115, The Universal School Meals Program Act to eliminate school lunch debt and permanently provide 3 locally sourced meals a day and a snack to all schoolchildren, regardless of income.
- H.R. 5177, The Schools Preventing Hunger in At Risk Kids (SPARK) Act, a bipartisan bill to make sure kids living with relatives or family friends can enroll in school meals. This would connect nearly 400,000 kids nationwide to food they need to learn and grow.
- H.R. 5048, The Streamlining Nutrition Assistance Paperwork Act, a bill that would cut red tape for New Mexicans seeking food assistance by allowing them to sign up for food assistance over the phone.
Congresswoman Stansbury was a key sponsor of legislation to address hunger and food insecurity in the New Mexico State Legislature, including a bill that eliminated co-pays for school meals and expanded school meals to thousands of New Mexico children. Stansbury looks forward to continuing this work at the national level and continuing to help support work across the state to reconnect New Mexico’s food systems.