{"id":148275,"date":"2022-09-29T10:40:43","date_gmt":"2022-09-29T17:40:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=148275"},"modified":"2022-09-29T10:41:55","modified_gmt":"2022-09-29T17:41:55","slug":"president-biden-at-the-white-house-conference-on-hunger-nutrition-and-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=148275","title":{"rendered":"President Biden at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, DC&#8230;Jimmieka, she \u2014 please, sit down.  Sit down.  (Laughter.)  She\u2019s awful good, isn\u2019t she?  She was really good.  Jimmieka, thank you for joining us and \u2014 for this historic Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Before I begin, though, I \u2014 speaking of health, you all have been reading and hearing about the hurricane and \u2014 Hurricane Ian and its impact it\u2019s going to have on our fellow Americans down in Florida. <\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Xfp9Cn5A5Mc\" title=\"President Biden Delivers Remarks at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Yesterday, I spoke with Governor DeSantis for some time \u2014 my team has been in constant contact with him from the very beginning \u2014 and the mayors of Tampa, St. Pete\u2019s, and Clearwater.<\/p>\n<p>And my message has been absolutely clear \u2014 is that we are on alert and in action.  We\u2019ve approved every request Florida has made for temporary assistance, emergency assistance, long-term assistance that I\u2019ve received. <\/p>\n<p>We discussed what we have done to prepare for the hurricane.  That includes dispatching hundreds of FEMA personnel and activating thousands of National Guard members.  I have also developed the search and rescue teams \u2014 and deployed them from multiple federal agencies.  And they\u2019re already on the ground and ready to help as we speak.<\/p>\n<p>FEMA pre-positioned millions of \u2014 literally millions of liters of water, millions of meals, and hundreds of generators.  We have scheduled everything we can possibly do. And we think, and so do the mayors and the governor, that \u2014 and we\u2019ve had \u2014 put up shelters \u2014 they\u2019re ready.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re not sure exactly where it\u2019s going to hit, but we\u2019ve \u2014 pretty \u2014 it\u2019s getting pretty clear exactly where it\u2019s going to hit.<\/p>\n<p>I made it clear to the governor and the mayors that the federal government is ready to help in every single way possible. <\/p>\n<p>And I want to repeat what I said yesterday to the people of Florida: This storm is incredibly dangerous, to state the obvious.  It\u2019s life threatening.  You should obey all warnings and directions from emergency officials.  Don\u2019t take anything for granted.  Use their judgment, not yours.  Evacuate when ordered.  Be prepared.  The storm warnings are real.  The evacuation notices are real.  The danger is real. <\/p>\n<p>And when the storm passes, the federal government is going to be there to help you recover.  We\u2019ll be there to help you clean up and rebuild, to help you get \u2014 Florida get moving again.  And we\u2019ll be there at every step of the way.  That\u2019s my absolute commitment to the people of the state of Florida.  (Applause.) <\/p>\n<p>And if you\u2019ll forgive me, I want to add one more warning.  That\u2019s a warning to the oil and gas industry executives: Do not \u2014 let me repeat \u2014 do not \u2014 do not use this as an excuse to raise gasoline prices or gouge the American people.  (Applause.) <\/p>\n<p>The price of oil has stayed relatively low.  It kept going down.  The price of gas should be going down as well.<\/p>\n<p>My experts inform me that production of only about 190,000 barrels a day has been impacted by this storm thus far.  That\u2019s less than 2 percent of the United States\u2019 daily production impacted for a very short period of time.<\/p>\n<p>This small, temporary storm impact on oil production provides no excuse \u2014 no excuse for price increases at the pump.  None.<\/p>\n<p>If gas companies try to use this storm to raise prices at the pump, I will ask officials to look into whether price gouging is going on.  America is watching.  The industry should do the right thing.  As a matter of fact, they should move more quickly now to bring down the price at the pump because gasoline is down \u2014 the price of gasoline is down a great deal.  There\u2019s too much of a delay between the price of barrel of ga- \u2014 of gas being pro- \u2014 oil and the price of gasoline at the pump.<\/p>\n<p>Now to why we\u2019re all here for this \u2014 on this historic day: The Secretary of Agriculture said everything, so I\u2019m leaving.  (Laughter.)  You really did.  So I apologize to you for any repetition that may occur here. <\/p>\n<p>But all kidding aside, you know, it\u2019s been over 50 years, to state the obvious \u2014 you all know it well \u2014 since President Nixon convened the original White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health.<\/p>\n<p>And the single \u2014 that single conference and the laws that inspired it \u2014 it inspired led a transformational change that has helped millions of Americans live healthier lives for generations. <\/p>\n<p>Since that time, advances in research and medicine have taught us so much more about nutrition and health.<\/p>\n<p>And today, I\u2019m convening this conference again because I believe we can use these advances to do even more to make America stronger and a healthier nation.  And so many of you know so much about this as well, and you\u2019re committed.<\/p>\n<p>And I want to thank all of you here, including bipartisan elected officials like Representative McGovern, Senator Braun, Senator Booker, Representative \u2014 Jackie, are you here?  Where\u2019s Jackie?  I didn\u2019t think she was \u2014 she wasn\u2019t going to be here \u2014 to help make this a reality.  And thanks to Senator Stabenow, Representative DeLauro for their leadership. <\/p>\n<p>And here today we have advocates and activists \u2014 Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s \u2014 you\u2019ve heard of him, haven\u2019t you?  (Applause.)  La- \u2014 last time we hung out on the Ukrainian border in Poland.  And leaders of business, labor, agriculture, faith, and philanthropy and \u2014 to achieve ambitious goals that I know we can do if we work together \u2014 I really do know we can do this: End hunger in this country by the year 2030 and lower the toll \u2014 (applause) \u2014 lower the toll that diet-related diseases takes on for too many Americans.<\/p>\n<p>This goal is within our reach.  Just look at how far we\u2019ve come on child poverty.<\/p>\n<p>Thirty years ago, as was referenced, 1 in 4 children lived below the poverty line.  Today, 1 in 20 live below the poverty line.  So I know we can take \u2014 tackle hunger as well.  And I\u2019ve released a national strategy to meet that bold goal.  The strategy that \u2014 has three key \u2014 three key principles.<\/p>\n<p>First, help more Americans \u2014 I\u2019ll say this again \u2014 help more Americans access the food that will keep their families nourished and healthy.  A lot of food deserts out there.<\/p>\n<p>Second, give folks the option and information they need to make healthy dietary choices.<\/p>\n<p>Thirdly, help more Americans be physically active.  People want to be; lots of times of times there\u2019s no places to go to be active from where they live.<\/p>\n<p>The good news is that we\u2019ve already been laying a strong foundation for this work.<\/p>\n<p>Soon after I came to office, I signed what was called the American Rescue Plan into law.  It helped put food on the table and keep a roof over the heads of millions of American families.  It helped our economy create nearly 10 million new jobs \u2014 most jobs created in that timeframe in American history.  We kept a pri- \u2014 a key price of \u2014 of the \u2014 a piece of the American Rescue Plan is the expanded Childcare Tax Credit.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Where is she?  The gentlewoman from Connecticut, I \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Overwhelmingly, working families used the Child Tax Credit to buy food and other basic needs for their families.  And it helped cut child poverty by nearly 50 percent in the United States \u2014 50 percent.  (Applause.)  And it cut food insecurity for families by 26 percent.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Look, folks, people are constantly looking at federal programs to see which ones are working and which ones are ineffective.<\/p>\n<p>Well, during the pandemic, we had a real-world example right in front of us.<\/p>\n<p>The expanded Childcare Tax Credit is one of the most effective programs we\u2019ve ever seen.  And that\u2019s why my national strategy calls on Congress to expand the Child Credit permanently.  (Applause.)  Permanently. <\/p>\n<p>We got to do it.  (Applause.)  We tried.  We couldn\u2019t get it done the first time.  We\u2019ll get it done this time.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, I remain committed to protecting workers\u2019 rights and fair wages and collective bargaining, including workers who grow, produce, and process our food; who transport it to grocery stores \u2014 (applause) \u2014 who stock the grocery shelves and \u2014 so they too can afford to feed their families.<\/p>\n<p>Look, folks, my strategy would also make permanent the Ameri- \u2014 an American Rescue Plan program that has made sure families, including over 30 million children, had money to buy groceries into the summer months so kids don\u2019t go hungry when school isn\u2019t in session.<\/p>\n<p>It sounds silly for a person to hear that who doesn\u2019t have a child, but full school programs \u2014 food programs do a lot.  During the summer months, things change.<\/p>\n<p>Within the next 10 years, my plan, as was already referenced, would make at least 9 million more children eligible for free school meals \u2014 a major first step for free meals for every single student.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019re also supporting schools so they can cook more meals from scratch, purchase more food from local farmers and ranchers.  (Applause.)  And this will mean kids will have healthier meals, and we\u2019ll strengthen rural economies at the same time.<\/p>\n<p>You heard from Senator \u2014 from Secretary Vilsack.  \u201cSenator.\u201d  Excuse me, I demoted you.  (Laughter.)  All kidding aside, he\u2019s doing a hell of a job.  Earlier \u2014 (applause) \u2014 I not only thank him for leading on this iss- \u2014 he knows a great deal about it and he cares passionately about this issue.<\/p>\n<p>The national strategy recognizes the critical role that nutrition plays in our health and our healthcare system, and it acknowledges that we give \u2014 we have to give families the tools to keep them healthy.<\/p>\n<p>How many of you here are \u2014 are medical people involved in research?  You know, almost every single \u2014 almost every single discipline, from cancer to heart disease on down the line, are finding out it\u2019s affected by diet and exercise.  (Applause.)  I mean, things we \u2014 you all knew, but we \u2014 it wasn\u2019t proved before.<\/p>\n<p>And so, example: Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America.<\/p>\n<p>Nineteen states \u2014 in 19 states, more than 35 percent of adults are obese.  In 19 states.  Nineteen.<\/p>\n<p>For seniors and millions of folks on Medicaid, our national strategy would expand access to nutrition and obesity counseling so they can get the guidance they need to stay healthy.  It has only \u2014 not only do people need to know what they should be eating \u2014 what they should be eating.<\/p>\n<p>Our national strategy also calls for doctors, nurses, dentists to be trained to spot the signs of hunger. <\/p>\n<p>And the Food and Drug Administration is already using its authority around labeling so you know which food is high on trans-fats and sodium so you can figure out which food is actually good for you and what isn\u2019t good for you.  And that only is going to increase informing people. <\/p>\n<p>Both in too many underserved communities \u2014 urban, rural, and Tribal \u2014 there\u2019s nowhere to buy fresh food for miles or safe places for kids to play or adults to exercise.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.  It creates space to live, work, and play safely.  It doesn\u2019t just build highways and build new ports and airports and the like; it also has the ability to transform systems that are already over- \u2014 overworked right now \u2014 where families can drink clean water, breathe clean air, use public transit so they can shop at nearby grocery stores that stock fresh and healthy foods.<\/p>\n<p>We also know that, too often, healthier food cost more.  That\u2019s why \u2014 that\u2019s why my strategy calls for Congress to expand incentives to purchase fruits and vegetables for low-income families \u2014 (applause) \u2014 who rely on \u2014 who rely on SNAP benefits to buy groceries so it\u2019ll be easier to afford the food that\u2019s good for you.<\/p>\n<p>You know, until recently, the way SNAP benefits were calculated hadn\u2019t been \u2014 I think this was referenced already \u2014 hadn\u2019t been updated for nearly 45 years \u2014 actually, over 45 years.<\/p>\n<p>So, last year, my administration changed the formula, and now folks are getting an average of 36 extra dollars in their pockets per month.<\/p>\n<p>Physical activity is part of living a healthy lifestyle and avoiding diet-related diseases.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re going to work with Congress to increase access to county \u2014 the country\u2019s parks \u2014 county, city, national \u2014 especially for Americans in low-income communities who need public transit to get there.<\/p>\n<p>It will also give more families the chance to hike, to bike, to breathe fresh air.<\/p>\n<p>Through the Inflation Reduction Act, we\u2019re making historic investments in climate and public health so families can get outside and be physically active in the air that\u2019s clean, not polluted with dirty diesel from buses and trucks and school buses as well.<\/p>\n<p>The Department of Education and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention \u2014 the CDC \u2014 are going to help schools expand physical education classes into the summer schools and summer programs so kids get off to a healthy start in life.  If they\u2019re in summer school, they\u2019re also going to be \u2014 have physical capacity.  They have gym \u2014 the equivalent of gym.  And after-school programs so we get kids off to a healthy start.  Not just \u2014 so we should take advantage of the opportunities when we have these children. <\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s so much more in our strategy and so much more in our imagination.  But one thing is clear: Meeting our bold goals requires a whole-of-government approach \u2014 a whole-of-government approach \u2014 and a whole-of-society effort.  That\u2019s why I\u2019m so excited to see all of you here.  You represent society in a way that is \u2014 touches every aspect of society, every \u2014 every part of the country.  And when I look out at all of you and the work you\u2019re doing in your communities, I know \u2014 I just know we \u2014 we can do this.<\/p>\n<p>People are becoming more aware.  I mean, people who are \u2014 who are getting hurt by the failure to know \u2014 to have the access, they\u2019re beginning to be aware.  And they\u2019re beginning to think in ways they didn\u2019t think before, that \u2014 as \u2014 what their dietary habits should be and how they \u2014 how they should fe- \u2014 be feeding their children if they can feed them.<\/p>\n<p>Well before, we \u2014 especially during the pandemic, so many of you were there to help your fellow Americans.  They lost their jobs; closed their businesses; faced eviction, homelessness, hunger; lost control; and maybe the worst of all, lost hope and dignity.<\/p>\n<p>But whether it\u2019s been your life\u2019s work or you\u2019re just getting started, all of you are stepping up.  You collected food donations.  You served and saved baskets and lunches and breakfast foods and \u2014 I mean, just across the board, you did everything in school \u2014 school programs and summer school programs.  You found new ways to get food from farms to restaurants to dinner tables.  You gave other families hope.<\/p>\n<p>In my church, we have an expression when someone\u2019s doing something.  They say, \u201cYou\u2019re doing the Lord\u2019s work.\u201d  A lot of people been doing the Lord\u2019s work.  That\u2019s why each of you \u2014 what each of you are doing.  And we\u2019re on our way in a way that I don\u2019t think that we have for a while.<\/p>\n<p>And again, you know, science changes things.  And people are realizing not only whether or not they\u2019re overweight or obese or not \u201chealthy\u201d \u2014 quote, unquote \u2014 but certain diseases are affected by what they eat, what they intake.  And people are beginning \u2014 the more we can \u2014 the more we can spread that word and educate people of what\u2019s at stake, the more we\u2019re going to see change.  But we have to be ready \u2014 as a government, as a people \u2014 to provide the elements of change that are going to change things for them.<\/p>\n<p>So thanks to the American Rescue Plan and the fact that the economy is turning around, a high level of food insecurity we saw at the height of the pandemic is down.<\/p>\n<p>But despite the progress, 1 in 10 American households still do not have access to enough food.  One in ten.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re working to deliver an economy that finally works for working families.  Jobs are up.  People are back to work.  We\u2019re taking on inflation seriously, enacting policies to bring down cost.  But there\u2019s always significantly more we can do.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why we\u2019re here today: to harness our greatest resource \u2014 our fellow Americans.<\/p>\n<p>Everyone \u2014 everyone has an important role to play \u2014 local, state, territory, and Tribal governments and the federal government as well; the private sector; civil society; agriculture; philanthropy; academia.<\/p>\n<p>You know, for example, the Rockefeller Foundation and the American Heart Association are expanding research into the relationship between food health and health equity. <\/p>\n<p>And the Food, Nutrition, and Investor Coalition is investing $2.5 billion into proven technologies and startup companies, pioneering new ways for reducing hunger and improving nutrition.<\/p>\n<p>Today, we\u2019re announcing over $8 billion in commitments from over 100 different organizations to help reach our goals.  (Applause.)  Eight billion.<\/p>\n<p>And I also firmly believe the work ahead should be bipartisan.  There shouldn\u2019t be anything partisan about any of this.  (Applause.) <\/p>\n<p>Just as it was when President Nixon first convened this conference or when Senator George McGovern and Bob Dole transformed America\u2019s role in reducing hunger in America and around the world.<\/p>\n<p>And this \u2014 and this work on hunger and nutrition and physical health is critical to addressing our mental health and wellness as well, which is a key pillar to my unity agenda that I called for in my State of the Union Address.  Again, bipartisan. <\/p>\n<p>This is something that should \u2014 we should be all rallying the country to work on together. <\/p>\n<p>And thinking internationally, global inflation and Putin\u2019s war in Ukraine have sparked a global food crisis.<\/p>\n<p>So just last week at the United Nations, I talked about the commitments we\u2019re making to tackle food insecurity worldwide.  Because in every country in the world and in every state in this country, no matter what else divides us, if a parent cannot feed a child, there\u2019s nothing else that matters for that parent.  If you look at your child and you can\u2019t feed your child, what the hell else matters?  (Applause.)  I really mean it.  Worldwide. <\/p>\n<p>So, folks, let me close with this.  I believe America \u2014 and you\u2019re tired of hearing me say it, I\u2019m sure \u2014 is at an inflection point.  It happens every six or eight generations, where thi- \u2014 so much changes in the world that everything that comes after it is different than it was before.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ve also heard me talk about the need to \u2014 for us to restore the soul of America.  All I\u2019m talking about is just restore, say, the decency \u2014 treating people with respect, treating people in a way that you\u2019d expect \u2014 you\u2019d want to be treated.  And by the way, some of you have been around long enough to remember we used to be that way in politics.  We fought like hell \u2014 (applause) \u2014 no, I\u2019m serious.  We fought like hell, but ultimately the vast majority were decent.<\/p>\n<p>One of my best friends was a guy who was like a brother I always fought with.  We\u2019d shout at each other on the floor of the Senate, and then go have lunch together.  His name was John McCain.  (Applause.) <\/p>\n<p>The point is, every senator can mention \u2014 can acknowledge that.  This should be an organizing element of how we start to talk to one another again, dealing with food insecurity. <\/p>\n<p>The task before us at this conference is the important work that follows and meeting this inflection point by nourishing the soul of America.<\/p>\n<p>America \u2014 in America, no child \u2014 no child should go to bed hungry.  No parent \u2014 (applause) \u2014 no parent should die of a disease that can be prevented.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>This has always been a country, at our best \u2014 when we\u2019re at our best, we think big.  It\u2019s almost like we don\u2019t think anymore that we can do big things.  No, I mean it sincerely.  Think about it. <\/p>\n<p>I realize this is not directly related, but one of the things that I say to my team, my friends: If I could wave a wand and change one thing that would change America\u2019s attitude about all we\u2019re able to do, remember who we were \u2014 I\u2019d wave a wand and say, \u201cCure cancer.\u201d  Why cancer?  Everybody is scared to death of cancer, and most people don\u2019t think we can do much about it.  We can. <\/p>\n<p>But imagine if we did that.  People would say, \u201cMy God.  We\u2019re back.\u201d  Well, this could be a gigantic step \u2014 a gigantic step and remind us who the hell we are. <\/p>\n<p>This is the United States of America.  (Applause.)  There is nothing \u2014 nothing, nothing \u2014 (applause) \u2014 I really mean it \u2014 there\u2019s nothing beyond our capacity when we work together, so let\u2019s work together.<\/p>\n<p>God bless you all.  And may God protect our troops.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.) <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, DC&#8230;Jimmieka, she \u2014 please, sit down. Sit down. (Laughter.) She\u2019s awful good, isn\u2019t she? She was really good. Jimmieka, thank you for joining us and \u2014 for this historic Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Before I begin, though, I \u2014 speaking of health, you all have been reading and hearing about the hurricane [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":148276,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,5,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-148275","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-government","category-news","last_archivepost"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Fullscreen-capture-9292022-103954-AM.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148275","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=148275"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148275\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":148278,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148275\/revisions\/148278"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/148276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=148275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=148275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=148275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}