RELEASE: Gottheimer Announces “Feed Our Kids Act” to Fight Farm Bill Cuts to School Meals for Hungry Jersey Children

Resources / Press Share on RELEASE: Gottheimer Announces “Feed Our Kids Act” to Fight Farm Bill Cuts to School Meals for Hungry Jersey Children HILLSDALE, N.J. — Today, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) announced new, federal legislation, the Feed Our Kids Act, which would provide free breakfast, lunch, and afterschool snacks to every student in K-12 public schools across America. May 07, 2026 Press SNAP Cuts Will Hurt Jersey Families, Farms, & Cost Taxpayers Millions Farm Bill Must Be Fixed – “It’s Rotten At Its Core” HILLSDALE, N.J. — Today, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) announced  new, federal legislation, the Feed Our Kids Act , which would provide free breakfast, lunch, and afterschool snacks to every student in K-12 public schools across America. This legislation comes as Gottheimer sounded the alarm on the devastating nutrition cuts jammed through by House Republicans in the Farm Bill last week. It would lock in cuts in critical funding for school meals, SNAP, and local food programs that threaten to push hundreds of thousands of New Jersey students into hunger. Right now, over 400,000 kids in Jersey rely on free or reduced school meals each and every day. Gottheimer made the announcement at Ann Blanche Elementary School in Hillsdale, New Jersey, with local elected officials, educators, hunger-relief advocates, and community leaders. “You can’t propel a rocket without fuel. The same goes for a growing student,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) . “Too many children in New Jersey are still showing up to school every morning with the tank reading empty. In the greatest country in the world, it is simply unacceptable that one in seven children in our state faces food insecurity. The Feed Our Kids Act will change that — no stigma, no bureaucracy, no child left hungry.” The bill is co-lead with Representatives Darren Soto (FL-5) and Brittany Pettersen (CO-7). “Making sure every kid has access to a healthy meal at school reduces costs for families and ensures that every student has the ability to grow and thrive,” said Congresswoman Brittany Petterson (CO-7). “We’ve seen the impact free school meals have in Colorado, and we know this bill is a critical step toward supporting our families, both in and out of the classroom.” More than forty-seven million people in the United States face hunger. One in four Americans report skipping meals because they simply cannot afford their grocery bills. In New Jersey alone: •  One in seven children faces food insecurity — not knowing where their next meal will come from. •  More than 270,000 children rely on school meals for two meals a day, five days a week. • In New Jersey, there are 812,966 SNAP recipients, including 436,452 households and 341,529 children. •  63,000 people in Bergen County go hungry every day, including more than 30,000 children across Northern New Jersey. •  More than 400,000 students received free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch last school year — with another 110,000 who qualify but still aren’t receiving meals. Research shows that students who eat breakfast and lunch perform better in the classroom, have stronger memory recall, are less likely to be absent or repeat a grade, and have fewer behavioral and attention problems. Students who are properly nourished also have healthier lifelong diets and are less susceptible to obesity-related health issues. Additionally, studies show that addressing hunger reduces violent crime, making communities safer and stronger. THE FEED OUR KIDS ACT The Feed Our Kids Act would: •  Provide free breakfast, lunch, and afterschool snacks to every student in K-12 public schools across America. •  Eliminate unpaid meal debt from schools and remove burdensome application paperwork for qualifying families. •  Ensure meals are nutritious and locally sourced when possible. •  Extend meal access during summer break and sudden school closures so no child’s nutrition falls through the cracks. •  Eliminate the stigma associated with means-tested meal programs by making access universal. •  Provide Congress with a report on the impacts of free school meals and provide recommendations to ensure that schools are using nutritious meals that are locally sourced from farmers. More than nine states already provide free school meals for all children — with more states, including those located in the Deep South, moving toward universal programs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, New Jersey’s shift to a universal school meal program drove a more than seventeen percent increase in math scores. When Republicans slashed those extra resources after the pandemic, fourth grade math scores fell by five points and eighth grade scores dropped by eight points. “This is all common sense. We can’t let another day go by where a Jersey kid goes to school hungry. This shouldn’t be political. There is nothing red or blue about feeding our children,” Gottheimer said. “The Senate has a real opportunity to stop this insane plan an