In a move that has sparked controversy and concern among education and anti-hunger advocates, the Republican Study Committee has outlined an austere budget for 2025, signaling the party’s intent to eliminate the universal free school lunch program. This proposal, a part of the “Fiscal Sanity to Save America” plan, threatens to dismantle the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which currently enables low-income schools to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of individual eligibility.
The budget, endorsed by over 170 House Republicans, specifically targets the CEP by suggesting that it promotes widespread fraud and abuse. Republicans posit that the provision wrongly benefits students whose parents technically earn too much to qualify. This rhetoric is at odds with the overwhelming popularity of the program in states that have embraced universal school meals. In Minnesota, for example, a poll showed that 70 percent of residents, including a majority of conservative and senior citizens, supported universal free school meals, despite higher costs stemming from unexpected demand.
The CEP’s impact has been substantial, allowing 40,000 schools to offer no-cost breakfast and lunch, with the number of participating institutions growing annually. The Biden administration’s recent expansion of the CEP has made free meals accessible to an additional 3,000 school districts. Critics of the Republican proposal argue that block grants, the alternative suggested by the RSC, lack the federal oversight necessary to ensure nutritional standards and access for those most in need.
The rejection of means-testing is seen as a way to efficiently address child hunger and promote academic success, a viewpoint corroborated by research indicating improvements in food security and nutrition among children under the CEP.
The RSC’s budgetary goals extend beyond the school lunch program, with plans to reduce funding for Social Security and Medicare, make permanent tax cuts that favor the wealthiest Americans, and reintroduce deregulation measures from the Trump era. These priorities, while not immediately actionable, offer insight into the Republican agenda and its potential implications for American society.
In stark contrast to the Republican stance, the House recently passed the Keep Kids Fed Act with bipartisan support, aimed at extending free meal provisions during the summer months. However, some Republicans opposed the bill, and it faced procedural hurdles in the Senate due to objections from Republican senators over unrelated policy issues.
Relevant articles:
– House Republicans Want to Ban Universal Free School Lunches
– Republicans Declare Banning Universal Free School Meals a 2024 Priority, The New Republic, Thu, 15 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT
– 42 House Republicans vote against extending free school lunches over the summer, American Journal News, Tue, 24 Oct 2023 13:00:58 GMT
– New Republican Budget Plan Would Eliminate Free School Meals, Cut Social Security and Medicare, Iowa Starting Line, Wed, 21 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT