Nutrition and Agriculture
In the 118th Congress, I serve as the Ranking Member of the Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit, as well as a member of the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Horticulture, and Foreign Agriculture, where I look forward to securing results to alleviate food insecurity and protect our farmers in Northeast Ohio.
Nutrition and Food Insecurity
Northeast Ohio is no stranger to food insecurity. At a time when 1 in 11 workers in Ohio can still put food on the table thanks to SNAP, our safety net programs must remain resilient to ensure that disadvantaged families will never have to worry about their children going hungry.
Almost 1 in every 4 households in Ohio’s Eleventh Congressional District are food insecure, and Cuyahoga County has the highest rate of child food insecurity in Ohio—9.7% higher than the national average. We can and we must do better for our children, who should never have to worry about from where their next meal will come.
Last Congress, I led the introduction of the Thriving Community Gardens Act, to give schools and community organizations another tool to combat food insecurity locally
In the 118th Congress, I led the reintroduction of the SNAP Access for Medically Vulnerable Children Act to ensure that families never have to choose between caring for their sick children and putting food on the table.
As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, working to expand access to fresh, nutritious food for children and families in our community remains one of my top priorities.
Protecting Our Farmers
We know that the strength and resilience of our farm supply chain directly impacts Northeast Ohio families' ability to access nutritious foods. That’s why I remain deeply committed to ensuring farmers have the resources we need to feed families in Ohio and across the country.
Food security is not a rural or urban issue—it affects families nationwide. When we reauthorize the Farm Bill every five years, we have a unique opportunity to fight hunger and help both farmers and families who have fallen on hard times.
As Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit, I have heard from farmers and ranchers about the need for strong investments in the farm safety net and disaster programs in the next Farm Bill. Risk management and crop insurance are worth investing in upfront so that farmers have certainty and comfort in their operations. That includes pushing to ensure that disadvantaged producers can equitably access benefits in assistance programs and build a more equitable USDA.
I am committed to prioritizing securing our nation’s food supply and will continue to strive for solutions that creates a comprehensive, resilient safety net for our farmers.
More on Nutrition and Agriculture
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11), Vice Ranking Member on the House Committee on Agriculture releases the following statement in response to the Trump Administration ending the “socially disadvantaged” designation for USDA grants and programs:
Washington, DC – On behalf of her constituents in Northeast Ohio, Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11) voted against the Republican Reconciliation Bill – Trump’s Big Ugly Bill. The legislation passed the House in a 218-214 vote and now heads to the President’s desk, awaiting signature to become law.
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11) spoke in opposition to the Republican Reconciliation Bill on the House floor Wednesday, calling attention to the bill’s cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11), Vice Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee authored an amendment to the Republican Reconciliation Bill to reverse the legislation’s new red tape paperwork requirements on SNAP benefits for veterans, parents with children over the age of 13, former foster youth, homeless people, seniors, and others
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11) and Congressman Adam Gray (CA-13) led a letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins demanding answers on why the USDA delayed publication of the Quarterly Agricultural Trade Report, and why—once it was finally released—the report was incomplete, omitting official trade data t
Cleveland, OH – Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11) strongly criticized the Republican Reconciliation Bill in an op-ed published today in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, writing, “this is
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11) has introduced bipartisan legislation to prohibit new fees on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Balance Transfer (EBT) retail transactions.
Washington DC – Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11), Vice Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee, has filed legislation (H.R. 3506) to re-authorize the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI). The legislation was co-led by Congressman Dwight Evans (PA-03).
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11) voted against the Republican Reconciliation Bill (H.R. 1). The legislation includes drastic cuts to Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and other basic benefits, to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy and well-connected. The bill passed the House and now heads to the Senate.