Harris Remarks at Joint Oversight Hearing on Severe Food Distribution Shortages in Tribal and Elderly Communities

Good morning. I want to thank you all for being here today to discuss the severe food distribution shortages that are occurring in our Tribal and elderly communities.  This is a unique hearing as Members from the House Appropriations Committee and House Agriculture Committee are coming together on this urgent and important topic.

On the first panel, we will hear directly from Tribal leaders who operate the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) and have been negatively impacted by the USDA’s poor decisions. On our second panel, we will hear from USDA Secretary Vilsack and USDA officials.

This is a tragic situation that has been inflicted upon our Nation’s tribes and elderly communities by the Biden-Harris USDA. As is typical for this Administration when they create a catastrophe that could have been avoided, no one is held accountable, and no one takes ownership for the egregious mistakes.

To learn more about the impact, we are pleased to be joined by our first panel of witnesses. The Honorable Darrel G. Seki Sr. who is the Chairman of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians from Red Lake, Minnesota, Ms. Marty Wafford, the Under Secretary of Support and Programs with the Chickasaw Nation Department of Health from Ada, Oklahoma; and Ms. Mary Greene-Trottier, President of the National Association of Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservations, with the Spirit Lake Tribe from Fort Totten, North Dakota.

We thank you all for being here today to share with us how your Tribal communities have been affected by USDA’s unilateral decision to have one nationwide vendor serve both FDPIR and the CSFP programs. We are frustrated that you all have been needlessly subjected to food shortages, expired food, delivery delays, and cancellations. We commend all of you for your leadership and determination to help FDPIR and CSFP participants, going above and beyond to provide food to vulnerable members of your Tribal communities.