ARLINGTON, Va.—The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) encouraged Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to make the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (S. 3307) a top priority because it will benefit families who use government assistance for their grocery store purchases.
FMI sent letters to the senators and released a statement from Jennifer Hatcher, senior vice president of government and public affairs, on the behalf of supermarkets.
“Final passage of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act is a top priority for the Food Marketing Institute and our nation’s supermarkets this Congress,” Hatcher said. "It is critical to lay the groundwork for a smooth transition for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) customers to use an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) for their transactions. It will increase efficiency and reduce participant stigma associated with the use of paper coupons. Supermarkets are proud to provide access to healthy food choices and want to provide an efficient and modernized checkout experience for WIC mothers who shop in our stores. We encourage the Senate to begin consideration of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act.
