WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th September, 2022) The US House of Representatives passed legislation establishing an Office of Food Security at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) amid concerns about the nutrition of both past and present US military servicemembers amid high inflation.
House lawmakers on Thursday passed the "Food Security for All Veterans Act" in a vote of 376-49, sending the legislation to the Senate for consideration.
The bill establishes an Office of Food Security at the VA, whose director will be responsible for providing information to veterans about Federal nutrition assistance programs and developing ways to identify and assist veterans at-risk of or experiencing food insecurity.
The legislation also mandates an annual report on veteran food insecurity be submitted to Congress by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture.
The bill comes amid criticism by some lawmakers of the Defense Department after it issued guidance to soldiers experiencing financial problems advising them to apply for federal food assistance.
The Defense Department's discretionary budget authority for fiscal year 2022 is approximately $722 billion, while total US military spending is more than $800 billion. The United States spends more on national defense than China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Germany, France, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom combined.
