Will Congress hear the call?

As a Catholic working in D.C., I worry that the most important connection between the Pope’s address to Congress and the Congressional legislative calendar will be the concern about our daily commute, not a concern about the ‘daily bread’ for our children.   

Pope Francis’s visit comes on the heels of two annual reports released this month with alarming data about the state of our nation’s children. The annual Census Bureau poverty report and the USDA food insecurity report were released and the findings are grim: one in 5 children live in poverty and struggle with hunger in the U.S. 

{mosads}In word and action, Pope Francis has challenged all of us, not simply Catholics, to focus our attention and shape public policy to address hunger and poverty.  In Evangelii Gaudium (“The Joy of the Gospel”), Pope Francis reminds us of two important principles.  First, “none of us can think we are exempt from concern for the poor and for social justice.” In Congress, this means a commitment to addressing the needs of the poor and hungry crosses party lines, a bipartisan tradition on shaky ground in today’s Congress. 

Second, “[t]he dignity of each human person and the pursuit of the common good are concerns which ought to shape all economic policies.”  In a land of radical individualism and an American dream of individual advancement, embracing the common good over individual gain can be a tough lift for many of us, including our elected officials.  But the value proposition for taking responsibility for all our children has been demonstrated repeatedly through research and resonates with our innate common sense.  Giving children proper nutrition improves academic achievement and reduces health care costs, making our nation stronger and more competitive.

Fortunately, the legislative calendar gives Congress the opportunity to demonstrate bipartisan leadership and heed the call to value the dignity of each child in the U.S., thereby promoting the common good of our nation.  On September 30^th, the law authorizing the nation’s child nutrition programs – including school lunch and breakfast, the Summer Food Service Program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) – will expire.  In the reauthorization of this law, Congress has the opportunity to address the long-ignored summer hunger crisis.

During the school year, 22 million children get a free or reduced price lunch but during the summer months, the vast majority (18 million) of these children go without, leading to nutrition-related health issues and exacerbated learning loss. Congress has an opportunity to fix this problem today by embracing proven policies to reach those kids currently left behind during the summer months.

Pope Francis invites us all to take action.  Members of Congress can act today, and each of us can take the time to encourage their action to solve the summer hunger crisis for our children and create a stronger America. 

Storen is senior director of No Kid Hungry.