Senate Democrats call for USDA funding for local food banks, schools to be restored
Senate Democrats called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to restore funding to local food banks and schools, after it canceled $1 billion in food purchase programs throughout the country.
In a letter Monday, Democratic Sens. Adam Schiff (Calif.), Ben Ray Luján (N.M.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) and Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.) led a group of 31 Democrats in calling on Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to reverse the cancellation of the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS).
In their letter, they wrote that these “successful” programs “allow states, territories, and Tribes to purchase local foods from nearby farmers and ranchers to be used for emergency food providers, schools, and child care centers.”
“At a time when food insecurity remains high, providing affordable, fresh food to food banks and families while supporting American farmers is critical,” they wrote.
“Notably, LFPA and LFS have benefitted producers and consumers by providing funding for purchases through all 50 states, four territories, and 84 tribal governments,” they added, noting the programs supported more than 8,000 producers as of December 2024.
In the letter, the Democrats also asked for an update on the status of the reimbursements for entities with agreements with USDA through LFPA and LFS, including when the last reimbursement was received.
They also asked whether the Trump administration has conducted any assessments to determine the impact of the programs’ cancellations, and for a copy of that assessment if it exists, along with answers to their questions, by April 4.
The letter was also signed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Democratic Sens. Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), Michael Bennet (Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), Cory Booker (N.J.), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), Dick Durbin (Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Martin Heinrich (N.M.), John Hickenlooper (Colo.), Edward Markey (Mass.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Patty Murray (Wash.), Alex Padilla (Calif.), Gary Peters (Mich.), Jack Reed (R.I.), Jacky Rosen (Nev.), Elissa Slotkin (Mich.), Tina Smith (Minn.), Raphael Warnock (Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (Md.), Peter Welch (Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.) and Ron Wyden (Ore.), along with Independent Sens. Angus King (Maine) and Bernie Sanders (Vt.).
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