Letter to Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader and Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader - Adams Leads Letter Calling on the Senate to Extend Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) Benefits for Students
Letter
Majority Leader McConnell and Minority Leader Schumer,
Thank you for your efforts to support Americans as they struggle with the impacts of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). We write to you today to urge you extend Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) benefits for our nation's school children through the end of Fiscal Year 2021.
More than 40 states and territories are operating P-EBT, including our home state of North Carolina. Across the country, P-EBT is providing resources to families who have lost access to free or reduced- price school meals due to school closures. In North Carolina, almost 900,000 children are eligible for free and reduced-price lunch. Thanks to P-EBT, their families have received more than $300 million to help them put food on their tables during the pandemic. Unfortunately, this crucial assistance is winding down. Currently, states are not authorized to provide P-EBT benefits beyond the end of this school year.In North Carolina, the school year ends on Friday, June 12.
Regrettably, we know that the impacts of COVID-19 are ongoing and will continue long past this month. Families affected by the economic disruption caused by this pandemic still need our help. Typically, summer programs would provide food for children after the school year ends, but many of these programs have been disrupted or cancelled due to COVID-19, leaving families at the risk of going hungry. Extending P-EBT through the end of Fiscal Year 2021 would help to ensure that all North Carolina children have enough food to eat through the end of the summer.
It is crucial that we immediately extend P-EBT Benefits to help families that are struggling to put food on their tables during this pandemic. We urge you to include an extension of the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer program in any upcoming COVID-19 response legislation approved by Congress.
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