{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://horn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=281", "Rep. Horn Partners with Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma on COVID-19 Hunger Town Hall", "2020-06-10", "2020", "2020-06", "Democrat", "House", "OK", "Kendra Horn", "H001083", "horn.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today, Congresswoman Kendra Horn (OK-5) announced a COVID-19Hungerand Food Insecurity VirtualTownHallin conjunction with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma next Wednesday, June17at 6:00 PMCT. Anyone interested in participating can register for the virtualtownhallhereor at Horn.House.Gov/Live.\r\nThe virtualtownhallwill focus on food insecurity's rapid growth during COVID-19 and the response to combathungerin Oklahoma. Since the pandemic started, it is projected that Oklahoma has dropped from one in six Oklahomans facing food insecurity to one in five. Before COVID-19, one in four Oklahoma children was food insecure. Now, nearly one in three children may be facinghunger.\r\nJoining Congresswoman Horn as panelists are:\r\n \r\n    Ryan Abernathy, Senior Director on ChildhoodHunger, Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma\r\n    Daniel Matthews, Director of the Community Market of Pottawatomie County\r\n    Councilwoman Nikki Nice, Ward 7  Oklahoma City\r\n    Tiffany Briggs, School Counselor\r\n \r\nDuring this crisis, toomany Oklahomansfamiliesare strugglingto put food on the tablethrough no fault of their own, saidCongresswoman Horn. Thousandsof Oklahomanshave lost their jobs, many workers are still waiting for their unemployment checks, andcountlessfamiliesare at the end of their rope. I am grateful for the work of Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma andthe organizations across our state working day in and day outto make surethat noone falls through the cracks during this crisis. Our virtualtownhallwill gather food insecurity experts for a conversation on what we can do at the local and federal level to endhungerin Oklahoma, and where people canget the assistance they need.\r\nWe appreciate Congresswoman Horn helping us to shine a light on the issue of food insecurity in our state, saidDeb Bunting, interim CEO of the Regional Food Bank. Oklahoma is already the fifth hungriest state in the nation and then you add the economic impact from the COVID-19 pandemic and the slumping oil industry and the result is we're seeing more and more Oklahomans in need of food assistance.\r\nIn April, Congresswoman Kendra Horn (OK-5) introduced the bipartisan CARE for Kids Act, legislation that would extend automatic eligibility for free school meals to certain vulnerable groups of children. Under the bill, children living in alternative or informal care arrangements, including those living with relatives such as grandparents would be eligible for free school meals.\r\nWhile the stimulus legislation which Congress passed in March temporarily expands free school meal eligibility to all children for the remainder of the COVID-19 health crisis, the ensuing economic downturn is expected to plunge an estimated 10 million Americans into poverty, exacerbatinghungerand food instability. In Oklahoma, expanded free school meal eligibility will run out on June 30 or when the federally declared public health emergency expires. The CARE for Kids Act would expand free school meal eligibility following the expiration of COVID-19 programs.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://horn.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=281"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.1895690113306046, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}