2022: Schweikert Voted Against Extending The School Lunch Program Waiver To Provide Free Meals Through 2022 Summer Programs And Through The 2022-2023 School Year And Expanding Free School Lunch Eligibility To Students With Family Incomes Below 185% Of The Federal Poverty Line. In June 2022, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted against the Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022, which would "extend Agriculture Department National School Lunch Program waiver authority to allow schools flexibility in providing free school meals. It would extend waiver authority for school district summer meal programs through September 2022; provide new waiver authority for the 2022-2023 school year; and extend 'meal pattern' waiver authority to exempt certain school districts from food nutrition requirements through June 2023. For the 2022-2023 school year, it would increase federal reimbursement rates, providing an additional 40 cents for school lunches and 15 cents for school breakfasts, and it would expand eligibility for free school lunches to all students from families with incomes at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty line. It would also increase federal reimbursement rates to provide an additional 10 cents for meals provided under the Child and Adult Care Food Program for day care centers. It would provide such sums as necessary for the costs of waivers and increased reimbursements and require the USDA to provide technical assistance to states and school food authorities to assist with transitioning school meal program operations after waivers expire. As an offset, it would permanently rescind $3.9 billion in unobligated COVID-19 relief funding." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 376-42, thus the bill was sent to the President and became law. [House Vote 290, 6/23/22; Congressional Quarterly, 6/23/22; Congressional Actions, S. 2089]
The Bill Was Signed Into Law Five Days Before Partial School Meal Flexibilities Were Set To Expire. According to NPR, "President Joe Biden signed the Keep Kids Fed Act on Saturday morning, extending partial school meal flexibilities through the next school year five days before they were set to expire." [NPR, 6/25/22]
The $3 Billion Plan Extended All Pandemic School Meal Waivers Through The Summer Of 2022 And Increased Federal Reimbursements Through The 2022-2023 School Year. According to NPR, "Earlier this week, a bipartisan group of lawmakers brokered a deal to expand some of the waivers, days before they would expire. The House on Friday morning approved Senate changes to a nearly $3 billion plan to extend all pandemic school meal waivers through the summer and supply chain flexibilities and increased federal reimbursements for school through the 2022-23 school year." [NPR, 6/25/22]
The Bill Extended All Waivers Through The Summer Of 2022 To Permit Meal Deliveries And "Grab-And-Go Options" And Extended Supply Chain Flexibilities And Increased Reimbursement Rates. According to NPR, "The bill would fully extend all waivers through the summer to allow meal deliveries and grab-and-go options for students. It would also extend supply chain flexibilities and higher than pre-pandemic federal reimbursement rates through the 2022-2023 school year." [NPR, 6/25/22]
2022: Schweikert Voted Against An Amendment That Reallocated $3 Million For The National School Lunch Program To Serve Healthier Meals. In July 2022, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted against en bloc amendments no. 2 to the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2023, which would, in part, "reallocate $3 million for the national school lunch program for the purpose of supporting equipment grants to help schools serve healthier meals." The vote was on the adoption of amendments. The House adopted the amendments by a vote 336-90. [House Vote 368, 7/19/22; Congressional Quarterly, 7/19/22; Congressional Actions, H.Amdt. 294; Congressional Actions, H.R. 8294]