Pascrell, Menendez, Booker Announce School Lunch Extension for Needy Children

PATERSON, NJ – U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) and U.S. Sens. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) accepted their request to allow all New Jersey School Food Authorities to continue feeding students in the Summer Food Service Program through June 30.

“The impact of this continuing crisis is especially devastating on needy families who rely on free and reduced school meal programs. As our neighbors shoulder the terrible burdens imposed by the pandemic, they are entitled to peace of mind that their kids will have food in their stomachs,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement. “We are pleased that the Trump administration has agreed with our commonsense pleas to keep our children fed. It is only by protecting our most vulnerable that we will emerge from this terrible trial as one state. We’re all in this together.”

The USDA decision follows a request by the state and a March 12 letter from Pascrell, Menendez, and Booker calling on the federal government to keep the program open during the pandemic.