{"id":14983,"date":"2026-05-08T22:09:38","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T22:09:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/05\/08\/catholic-organizations-call-on-congress-to-protect-food-aid-nutrition-programs-ewtn-news\/"},"modified":"2026-05-08T22:09:38","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T22:09:38","slug":"catholic-organizations-call-on-congress-to-protect-food-aid-nutrition-programs-ewtn-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/05\/08\/catholic-organizations-call-on-congress-to-protect-food-aid-nutrition-programs-ewtn-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Catholic organizations call on Congress to protect food aid, nutrition programs – EWTN News"},"content":{"rendered":"

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EWTN News is a service of Eternal Word Television Network, Inc. Irondale, Alabama. All rights reserved. EIN: 27-4581132
The appeal comes as Pope Leo XIV dedicated his May prayer intention to ensuring \u201cthat everyone might have food.\u201d
WASHINGTON \u2014 A coalition of Catholic groups led by the U.S. bishops is urging Congress to bolster federal nutrition and agriculture programs in the 2027 agriculture spending bill.
In a joint letter<\/a>\u00a0April 28, the bishops and Catholic aid organizations warned that rising food insecurity, cuts to nutrition assistance, and instability in international food aid programs are placing vulnerable families at greater risk both in the United States and abroad.
The letter was signed by leaders from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Relief Services, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and Catholic Rural Life.
\u201cIt is difficult to make ends meet for many, and families need help,\u201d the organizations wrote, citing U.S. Department of Agriculture data<\/a>\u00a0showing that 13.7% of American households experienced food insecurity at some point in 2024. The letter also noted that grocery prices are expected<\/a>\u00a0to continue rising in 2026 despite slower inflation than in previous years.
Rep. Andy Harris, R-Maryland, chair of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, said in a statement that the USCCB should \u201cspend time suggesting how to pay for the hundreds of billions of dollars in additional spending they are recommending in their letter.\u201d
\u201cDo they have an opinion on the \u2018moral dimension\u2019 of leaving future generations to pay the added cost of a $2 trillion deficit and $37 trillion federal debt?\u201d he continued. \u201cWhat is the \u2018human dimension\u2019 of advocating for able-bodied adults (who aren\u2019t caring for others but choose not to work even 20 hours a week) to receive welfare benefits, with the cost to be borne by others who choose to work?\u201d
He asked why the bishops aren\u2019t \u201cadvocating for states to take a larger role in these issues, consistent with federalism?\u201d
The Catholic leaders framed the issue not simply as a political or economic debate but as a moral responsibility rooted in Catholic social teaching.
Quoting Pope Leo XIV, the letter stated<\/a>\u00a0that \u201conly through sincere and constant cooperation can we build fair and accessible food security for all.\u201d
The appeal comes during a month in which Pope Leo has focused the Church\u2019s attention directly on hunger. The pontiff\u2019s prayer intention for May<\/a>\u00a0is \u201cthat everyone has access to quality food every day,\u201d calling Catholics worldwide to pray and work toward an end to hunger and food insecurity.
Speaking to EWTN News, Julie Bodnar, policy adviser in the USCCB Office of Domestic Social Development, described access to food as a \u201chuman right.\u201d
\u201cWe need to make sure that we are giving people the kind of tools to live out their human dignity,\u201d she said. \u201cThe pope\u2019s prayer intention this month ties into this appeal perfectly. The bishops have always advocated \u2026 to protect the poor and vulnerable and make sure that everyone has a right to adequate nutrition.\u201d
The Catechism of the Catholic Church<\/a>\u00a0teaches: \u201cConcern for the health of its citizens requires that society help in the attainment of living conditions that allow them to grow and reach maturity: food and clothing, housing, healthcare, basic education, employment, and social assistance.\u201d
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA<\/a>\u00a0(SVdP), which operates thousands of food pantries, meal sites, and food programs across the country, highlighted the growing need for assistance.
The organization said in a statement that it has seen an increase in requests for support as \u201cmore than 47 million people in the U.S. struggle to put food on the table, and rising food costs only exacerbate their financial strain.\u201d
\u201cThe Vincentian perspective can inform better policymaking as a result of our more than 80,000 volunteers\u2019 direct and daily experience with people in need,\u201d the statement continued. \u201cWe echo the Holy Father\u2019s message on World Food Day<\/a> in which he stated that \u2018No one can remain on the sidelines in the fight against hunger.\u2019\u201d
Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Relief Services, and Catholic Rural Life did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The coalition urged lawmakers to maintain \u2014 and in many cases increase \u2014 funding for federal nutrition programs, including the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), among others.
SVdP said: \u201cAt a minimum, Congress should provide level funding for these life-sustaining programs and oppose any proposed funding cuts.\u201d
Bodnar noted WIC\u02bcs assistance to families in need. \u201cThe bishops are extremely grateful that WIC has continued to be funded over the past several years by lawmakers, even when it looked like it was going to be very difficult to do so,\u201d she said.
Maintaining full funding for WIC, she added, would help preserve the program\u2019s fruit and vegetable benefit, which she said would be affected under the House proposal.
The letter also called for continued support for rural housing programs, conservation initiatives, and international food efforts such as Food for Peace<\/a>\u00a0Title II and the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education Program.
Particular concern was expressed over recent reductions and structural changes to SNAP enacted through the tax overhaul<\/a> enacted in July 2025 as well as over administrative actions affecting school meals, food banks, conservation efforts, and international aid.
The Catholic organizations asked Congress to \u201csafeguard programs that Congress has authorized and funded in the past from harmful administrative actions and protect against further cuts that harm those who are hungry and the farmers who feed them.\u201d
The groups additionally advocated for increased flexibility in SNAP work requirements, stronger support for food banks, expanded access to nutrition assistance for immigrants and refugees lawfully present in the U.S., and increased funding for sustainable agriculture initiatives.
At the same time, the letter reaffirmed the Church\u2019s pro-life teaching, arguing that support for women, children, and families cannot be separated from broader efforts to promote human dignity. The coalition urged Congress to \u201cprotect the dignity and sanctity of human life in all conditions and stages\u201d while opposing policies that expand access to chemical abortion.
The U.S. House is next expected to take up the agriculture appropriations bill after the House Appropriations Committee approved<\/a>\u00a0it on April 29 in a 35-25 vote.
According to the committee, the legislation would provide about $26.27 billion in discretionary funding, slightly below fiscal 2026 levels. Republican leadership has described the bill as fiscally responsible legislation that prioritizes farmers, rural communities, and nutrition programs. Democratic members of the committee, however, have criticized<\/a>\u00a0the proposal, arguing it would increase costs for U.S. farmers and reduce aid supporting rural communities.
Separately, lawmakers are considering the farm bill<\/a>\u00a0with overlaps in nutrition and agriculture policies.
Pope Leo XIV\u2019s prayer intention for the month of May is that everyone might have food.<\/p>\n

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