WASHINGTON – Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Ranking Member John Boozman (R-AR), Tuesday called on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Thomas Vilsack to address supply chain disruptions and inventory shortages impacting the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) as soon as possible.
The Senators wrote: “We have heard from Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs), food banks and emergency feeding organizations, state agencies, and program participants regarding delayed or cancelled food deliveries, or deliveries of expired food. These disruptions not only affect food inventory levels for the program operators, but food security for tribal and senior households. As the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has acknowledged, this is unacceptable.”
FDPIR provides food to approximately 53,000 income-eligible households on tribal reservations and Native American households in approved areas, and CSFP provides food to about 720,000 income eligible seniors across the country. For several weeks, both programs have faced significant inventory shortages, delayed or cancelled food deliveries, or deliveries of expired food. The Senators are seeking an explanation of what led to this crisis, swift action to resolve disruptions, and steps to ensure this never happens again.
USDA is taking action to provide funding and flexibilities to help participating communities access the supplemental food they need as quickly as possible, but more action is needed to return to regular, on-time deliveries.
The following Senators joined Stabenow and Boozman to send the letter: Mike Braun (R-IN), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), John Cornyn (R-TX), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), John Hoeven (R-ND), James Lankford (R-OK), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Jack Reed (D-RI), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
The Senators’ full letter is available HERE.