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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E934]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REINTRODUCTION OF THE FOOD DESERTS ACT
______
HON. ANDRE CARSON
of indiana
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, October 6, 2020
Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Madam Speaker, food security is quickly
becoming a national crisis that we must address. In my district alone,
1 in 5 people live in a food desert where grocery stores are
unfortunately closing down, taking away healthy options and prices are
skyrocketing for smaller stores. Too many families already lack a car
or reliable public transportation to get to the nearest alternative,
often located over a mile away. Today, thousands of my constituents are
struggling to find the food they need, with many forced to rely on fast
food and convenience stores. These options are neither healthy nor
affordable. These problems have only been made worse by the COVID-19
pandemic.
Sadly, this situation is not unique. Over 29 million people, almost
10 percent of the U.S. population, live without ready access to
affordable, nutritious food and over 2 million people have no
transportation to get to their nearest store. Many have seen their
local stores close their doors during the recent economic downturn.
Others lost access years ago and are now facing the serious long-term
impacts of obesity, diabetes, malnutrition and other diet related
ailments. Unfortunately, residents in these low-income areas tend to
spend less on groceries, leaving little financial incentive for
traditional grocery chains to make costly investments for new
locations.
In the wealthiest country on Earth, nutritious food should be an
expectation, not a luxury. That is why I am reintroducing the Food
Deserts Act, which creates new avenues to fund stores in underserved
communities. This bill will create USDA funding for state operated
revolving funds that will issue low interest loans for the operation of
grocery stores in food deserts. The bill ensures that recipients of
these loans, including for-profit, non-profit and municipal entities,
will provide affordable, healthy food, including fresh produce and
staples like milk, bread and meat. It will also ensure that USDA
professionals are available to provide technical assistance to
recipients who need it.
Access to healthy food is something that most of us take for granted.
But despite our own experiences, we need to remember that millions of
our constituents are struggling every day to feed their families. With
this market driven approach, I hope to complement existing federal
programs and efforts around the country by ensuring a stable lending
stream for struggling grocery stores and sustainable access to food for
communities in need.
I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting the Food Deserts
Act.
