March 22, 2021

Vice President Harris, Rep. Lawson Discuss Food Insecurity, Vaccinations and American Rescue Plan During Jacksonville Visit

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Today, U.S. Rep. Al Lawson (FL-05) joined Vice President Kamala Harris for her “Help Is Here Tour” in Jacksonville. The visit was organized to discuss the city’s vaccination outreach and how the American Rescue Plan addresses the nation’s hunger crisis. This is Vice President Harris’ first trip to Jacksonville since October 2020 — her first visit since being elected as Vice President.

“I was honored to welcome Vice President Harris to Northeast Florida,” Rep. Lawson said. “She understands the burden COVID-19 has placed on our community. The American Rescue Plan will help many families in my district and across this nation. There is light at the end of the tunnel, but there is still a lot of work to do. Until COVID-19 is under control, thousands of lives will continue to be lost, people will be out of work and lives will remain disrupted.”

The Vice President and Congressman toured the federal Gateway Town Center vaccination site, alongside Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried, Mayor Lenny Curry and FEMA Regional Site Lead Bob Spence. Since March 3, Jacksonville’s federal sites, including Oceanway Community Center and the Carver Community Center, have vaccinated more than 30,000 residents. The American Rescue Plan addresses vaccination disparities by allocating $160 billion for vaccine administration, testing and public health workforce.

“It is evident that the Biden Administration is making fast and fair vaccine distribution a top priority,” Rep. Lawson said. 

Vice President Harris and Rep. Lawson later joined Commissioner Fried, Jacksonville City Councilwoman Joyce Morgan, Duval County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Diana L. Greene, President and CEO of Feeding Northeast Florida Susan A. King, and Jacksonville City Councilman Garrett Dennis at Feeding Northeast Florida for a roundtable discussion on food insecurity. 

“Every one of us at this table must play a role in addressing hunger in our communities,” Rep. Lawson said. “That is why I work so hard on the House Agriculture Committee. We must push for solutions, particularly how food security impacts rural communities, and ensure our most vulnerable are better protected. 

He added, “We need to make sure that every child that cannot get a nutritious meal from home can be provided one from their school district. The Summer Food Service Program has been a lifeline for so many children across our district since the pandemic began. I'm also concerned for the senior citizens, college students, veterans and homeless population who shape our community, but are often out of contact with the resources that can best serve their specific needs.”

The American Rescue Plan addresses the nation's hunger crisis by:

  • Expanding access to the Pandemic EBT program through the duration of the pandemic, making it easier for families with kids receiving school meals to purchase healthy food, especially over the summer.
  • Extending the 15% SNAP increase through September 2021; that's $28 per month per person.
  • Investing $880 million in the WIC program to support innovative delivery models and raise the amount of fruits and vegetables participants can obtain.
  • Investing $37 million to get seniors the nutrition they need.

For the past year, Congress has passed COVID-19 legislation that has helped families dealing with food insecurity: the Families First Act, CARES Act, provisions in the Omnibus and most recently, the historic American Rescue Plan.

Prior to the pandemic, in February of 2020, there were 36.8 million people on SNAP. By April of 2020, SNAP enrollment was up to 40 million people and that increased to nearly 43 million people by September of last year. The Congressional Budget Office predicts that the negative effects of the pandemic will continue through most of 2022, with an average total of 44 million people on SNAP next year, before it begins to decrease in 2023. The impacts of the COVID-19 crisis have disproportionately affected Black and Hispanic households, who are facing double the food insecurity rates of white and Asian households. 

The American Rescue Plan includes several key legislative priorities that Rep. Lawson worked to secure, including 100% coverage of COBRA health insurance, extended federal unemployment aid for laid-off workers, an expanded child tax credit that will be paid monthly, lowered health care premiums, and economic impact payments of up to $1,400 per person for more than 14 million Florida adults and 4.9 million children. Additionally, the law will deliver more than $16 billion in funding to Florida’s state and local governments to keep essential workers on payroll, expand public health efforts, and support public services — $185 million for Duval County, and $163 million for the City of Jacksonville. It additionally includes more than $7 billion in funding for Florida’s K-12 schools.