[Page H1130]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            ENSURING VETERANS HAVE ACCESS TO FOOD ASSISTANCE

  (Mrs. HAYES asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, in recognition of National Nutrition Month, 
I introduced the Feed Hungry Veterans Act, legislation to permanently 
remove barriers to SNAP often faced by veterans with work-limiting 
disabilities.
  According to the 2023 RAND report, 1.4 million veterans are food 
insecure. That is in part because many disabled veterans do not meet 
all the qualifications for Federal nutrition programs like SNAP.
  My legislation amends the definition of ``elderly or disabled'' for 
SNAP to include veterans with one service-connected disability rated at 
60 percent or higher or two or more service-connected disabilities, at 
least one of which is rated 40 percent or higher.
  With more than one third of disabled veterans in the United States 
facing food insecurity, we must do more to support those who have 
honorably served our Nation. The Feed Hungry Veterans Act is a critical 
step to ensuring veterans have long-term access to critical food 
assistance.

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