Bread Statement in Advance of President Trump’s SOTU Address

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United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. – Bread for the World released the following statement in advance of President Trump’s State of the Union address. The statement can be attributed to Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World: 

“As President Trump prepares to give the State of the Union, Bread for the World urges him to pursue three policy proposals that would significantly help people living in hunger. They are addressing the root causes of migration; increasing funding for global nutrition efforts; and improving domestic job opportunities for low-income Americans.

“According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, hunger is a primary reason families from Central America are forced to flee their home countries. Instead of more money for border enforcement, a measure that experts repeatedly affirm is ineffective, the administration should increase funding in programs that help mitigate the root causes of migration in Central America. Smart immigration policy would focus on the root causes of migration.

“The world has made unprecedented progress against hunger and malnutrition, and U.S. leadership has been key. There are now close to 15 million fewer stunted children under the age of 5 than there were five years ago. Unfortunately, nearly half of all preventable child deaths globally continue to be linked to malnutrition – impacting the stability of countries around the world, as well as U.S. national security. Improving nutrition is an issue everyone can agree on. When children do better, the world does better. We call on the administration to increase funding for global nutrition and help even more children survive and thrive.

“One of the best ways to end hunger here in the U.S. is to ensure that everyone who wants a job can get one and that it pays a living wage. Yet, wages are not keeping up with the cost of living. Passing legislation like the Raise the Wage Act would lift wages for 41 million American workers, significantly decreasing hunger and poverty in the U.S.”

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