Introduction and summary
Food is a human right, just like air and water. But hunger and food insecurity are widespread in the United States. In 2020, nearly 14 million households—10.5 percent of the population—did not have enough food to meet their needs,1 which greatly affected their health, well-being, and quality of life. From June 1 to June 13, 2022, nearly 24 million households—including 11.6 million households with children under the age of 18—reported that they sometimes or often did not have enough food a week. More than 7 million families were food insecure despite receiving federal food and nutrition assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and nearly 4 million of these families included children. In particular, low-income families of color, often headed by single mothers, are prone to higher levels of hunger and food insecurity due to historical and racial discrimination and discrimination in economic opportunities. , jobs, education, housing, and loans.3
Defining food insecurity
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food security as “everyone’s access at all times to enough food for a healthy life.” Food insecurity can be understood as the lack of access or limited access to adequate food that prevents all members of the family from living strong and healthy lives. Read also : DC Health Will Offer At-Home COVID Test Appointments to Residents Needing Reasonable Accommodation | doh. . Food insecure households do not mean that they are not always food secure, but food insecurity reflects the choices that households sometimes need to make between meeting basic needs such as housing, health and child care, and the purchase of adequate food. 4
America’s hunger crisis hinders the well-being of its people-especially children and youth5-as well as its economic growth. The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 and the sudden economic crisis, along with supply problems and other challenges, have led to a rise in the prices of goods and services – including food. America’s hunger crisis has worsened, highlighting decades of policy failures in the US food system and four Racism and poverty have long existed. 6
Read for an example of how the U.S. food system fails those most in need
Policymakers must take immediate action to combat food insecurity and remove the root causes and barriers that prevent millions of individuals and families from succeeding. With several key pieces of food and nutrition legislation coming up for reauthorization in Congress, and with the recent announcement by the White House that a national conference will be held on hunger, nutrition, and health in September 2022, the United States has a one-generation opportunity to reform all related policies related to hunger in the country’ e and food insecurity, aimed at building a whole-of-government, community-based system to end hunger.
This report outlines the long-term strategies needed to end hunger in the United States:
The report explains why, with the right interventions, hunger is very preventable and highlights interviews with Americans who have experienced hunger and food insecurity.
Hunger and food insecurity are wholly preventable
This country knows how to solve the problem of hunger and lack of food. Many programs and services attack hunger and food insecurity from different angles—helping mothers and babies, students, seniors, low-income workers, and more. These programs are designed to reduce hunger by increasing income and lifting individuals and families out of poverty.8
But reducing hunger is very different from eliminating it completely. The United States has the resources to build an equitable, sustainable food system to ensure that no person, child, or family goes hungry within its borders. On the same subject : An anonymous donation of $30,000 will benefit the Clay County Youth Food Delivery Program. However, it is not possible without the political will needed to make bold decisions that prioritize the health, well-being, and economic security of all people, not just the lucky few.
Two upcoming legislative opportunities will allow Congress to take meaningful action to build a more affordable, accessible, and resilient food system. . In 2022, Congress must reauthorize the USDA Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), 9 which authorizes all federal children’s programs to reach millions of children and is their families every day. In 2023, Congress is poised to reauthorize the Farm Bill, which includes funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP is the country’s best program to fight hunger, to supplement the food budget of vulnerable families so that they can buy healthy food and move towards self-sufficiency. And, as mentioned above, the upcoming White House meeting offers an unprecedented opportunity to discuss a national, public policy on reforming food and ending hunger.
Hunger’s impact on poverty and economic growth
Hunger plays an important role in the functioning and development of the economy. When individuals, families, and their children are hungry, they struggle with high levels of chronic stress and little bandwidth to do more than meet their basic needs.10 Adults and children who Food insecurity has higher rates of mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, and is at higher risk for chronic diseases.11 Hungry children are more more sick and can suffer from physical, developmental, and mental disorders, leading to lower education than their peers. To see also : Supply Chain Current Time: Food Shortages and Harvest Problems Ukraine.12 In short, the desire cities that weaken individuals and families; impair their ability to reach their full potential; and create a drag on the economy in the long term through increased health care costs, increased reliance on government programs, and higher economic levels. people of color, women, children, the elderly, and the disabled. Families with children, especially families living alone, are more likely to face hunger.
Fortunately, the United States has tools to combat hunger. The USDA has a number of hunger and nutrition programs designed to meet the needs of the most vulnerable and needy, including infants and children in childcare, students, mothers and their babies, elderly people, people with special needs, indigenous communities, rural communities, etc. 14 The main goal of the USDA food programs is to improve access to good food and reduce malnutrition. food. 15 In addition, food and nutrition programs of the office can also help in reducing the difficulty of poverty. When low-income and working Americans earn food and nutrition, they can use money from their food budget for other necessities, including housing, child care, utilities, and transportation. This can help individuals and families become more financially stable.
But the USDA still has room to improve access and delivery of services to meet the needs of all. His programs have limitations; they focus on the consequences of hunger, rather than the root causes. Policymakers must do more to address the choices that have led to poverty and food insecurity in the United States.
The root causes of hunger are the policy choices that prioritize profits over people
America’s hunger crisis is not due to a lack of food production or a limited food supply.16 Rather, hunger and food insecurity in the United States are symptoms These are policy choices and an economic system that prioritizes the needs of corporations and the wealthy over the needs of corporations. general population.17 Nationwide, families experience hunger as a result of a combination of factors, including limited income from jobs below the living wage; unemployment or underemployment, which has increased due to the disease; few economic opportunities in the villages; low education rates; history of discrimination based on race, gender, and disability; and more. 18Millions of Americans who work full-time or multiple jobs still find themselves in poverty due to low wages, unstable work hours, and high child care costs, housing, education, transportation, and health care. In addition, policy choices that undermine state safety programs or require individuals and families to take greater risks are warranted. needs have weakened the effectiveness of food safety net programs, resulting in an unprecedented hunger crisis in any developing country. businesses.19 For example, to reload WIC benefits, some states require participants to mail in their benefit documents or travel to local offices every few months. In part because it was unsafe for many people to participate in such travel at the height of the epidemic, WIC saw a decline of 9.3 percent from March 2020 to January 2021 despite an increase in the hunger of children. 20
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Simply put, while hunger is a direct result of poverty, it is further exacerbated by policies that reduce funding, limit capacity, limit time to participation, and create other burdens to empower people. low income to justify the need. Such policies help undermine the effectiveness of food and nutrition security programs, often leaving many of the most vulnerable Americans without access. of life support.21 Although policymakers can make specific decisions to address hunger, strategies to combat hunger must be centralized. economic conditions that cause hunger and reform policies that create barriers.
Strategies to address hunger and food insecurity in the United States
The country has the opportunity together with the generation to implement the development of an equitable, sustainable food system that meets the needs of all people and communities. e. To inform these opportunities, this report offers the following ways to eliminate food insecurity and hunger in the United States by anchoring solutions to the lived experiences of food insecure mothers. live in different parts of the country. 22
Reduce poverty as an integral step to reducing hunger
Financial stability and economic empowerment is a necessary condition to ensure that all people can achieve their food and nutrition needs. Poverty and hunger are inseparable, and when individuals and families are faced with financial hardship, they often have to make difficult decisions between putting food on the table and paying for it. necessities such as rent, electricity bills, childcare, etc.
Because federal food programs cannot eliminate hunger, policies that focus on poverty reduction are important. At the federal, state, and local level, broad solutions to address poverty—such as raising the federal minimum wage; offering workers paid family and medical leave and health care benefits;23 and providing affordable housing and transportation as well as quality child care and education—necessary to help individuals and families to build financial stability and meet their needs. Employers can also play an important role in increasing economic stability through workplace policies, including offering living, flexible wages. on schedules and paid vacation days, and affordable higher education and other opportunities for upward mobility. Studies have shown that more than half of food insecure adults would experience a significant positive impact on their family’s finances if they had access to higher employment opportunities. working poor. We need programs to help people keep their heads above water.”25
In addition, supplemental income or financial assistance programs can be very effective in helping low-income Americans increase labor force participation, build economic security, and manage good needs of their families. taxpayers and children to support their families. The CTC was greatly expanded under the administration of Biden’s American Rescue Plan (ARP); it was fully returned, and full benefits were extended to approximately 27 million low-income children and children of color who would otherwise have received partial or no benefits. rather than annual—based on helping families meet ongoing needs. When the federal government began distributing monthly CTC payments in July 2021, child poverty and food insecurity among families and children dropped significantly and rapidly. The expansion of the CTC reduced monthly child poverty by almost 30 percent, and in December 2021, it reached 61.2 million children, preventing 3.7 million children from poverty.28
Millions of parents used their CTC payments to meet basic household needs, including using credit for their food budgets, which helped reduce food insecurity in the 26 percent in eligible households. ends in December 2021 after ARP temporary extensions. According to a survey of 500 parents in May 2022 conducted by Parents Together Action, almost half of those who received monthly CTC checks said that they could not have enough food to feed their families.30 Javona Brownlee, a single mother of three from Virginia, understands this struggle. . She is currently facing homelessness after losing her apartment to black mold. As Javona explained, “The child tax credit helped a lot with food. When I discovered CTC, it definitely made a difference. I want the government to bring that [subsidy] back. I can use that endlessly for food.”31
I have gone back to the situation I was in before paying the child tax every month, not eating so that my children could eat, especially the increase in the prices of everything. these days. The little bit of money I had left for food and gas after paying for everything else was even less. Unfortunately, I’ve been having stomach and diarrhea problems lately, and I wonder if it’s related to not eating. But if doing that means my kids can eat it, I’ll always do it.
A permanent, fully reimbursable CTC will improve the well-being and prospects of every American child and is one of the greatest anti-poverty investments possible. made by the United States. Strengthening income support programs provides parents with financial stability and allows them to better manage their food budgets and meet the food and nutrition needs of their loved ones. The expanded earned income tax credit (EITC) and housing assistance are important means of support that can ensure stability and security as individuals and families build financial security.32
Create more accessible and affordable food production and distribution systems
The actions of the Biden administration in 2021 did not eliminate hunger, but they certainly helped to prevent extreme hunger and food insecurity for millions of people.33 But, as stated by the USDA, assistance programs do not reach everyone equally. 34 Families with children, for example, are twice as likely to experience food insecurity than families without children. In 2020, Black and Hispanic Americans were 3.2 times and 2.5 times more likely, respectively, to be food insecure than white households.35
Southern states are hungrier than northern states, on average,36 largely because policy decisions have weakened their safety nets and suppressed wages.37 Rural households outnumber urban ones. facing food insecurity and food insecurity in their communities. 38 And adults with disabilities experienced food insecurity at more than double the rate of their peers in 2020, with adults not working three times more food insecure than disabled adults.39
Food deserts are regions where people do not have access to healthy, affordable food. The USDA defines food deserts as low-income counties where at least 500 people, or 33 percent of the population, live more than half a mile from a supermarket. nearby, supercenter, or supermarket in the city or more than 10. miles from a store in a rural area. Food deserts stem from lack of investment, lack of investment, and the historical isolation of underprivileged communities.40 These disadvantages are located in rural,41 rural,42 and urban43 communities, all of which have unique characteristics that policy makers must address in order to promote access to cheap and traditional food. Estimates indicate that 18.8 million people, or 6.1 percent of the United States population, live in a food desert,44 putting them at high risk of health-related conditions. in food, such as obesity, sugar, and heart disease.
Consider this: A family using SNAP assistance must drive 25 to 30 miles to the nearest Walmart for their groceries and groceries. They need not only to get a car but also money for gas and time for the trip itself. Low-wage workers, many of whom depend on SNAP, work in poor conditions, characterized by inconsistent hours and the inability to schedule their shifts in advance.45 These barriers only combined for small groups, such as single mothers of color that are rare. access to child care46 or people with disabilities who may not be able to drive, use public transportation, or transport food.
For the US food and nutrition systems to work effectively to end hunger and food insecurity, they need a strong and diverse media network that considers the unique needs of different communities, individuals, and families. People need access to stores in their communities and in their neighborhoods. They need cars or cheap and easy transportation to bring food home. They need jobs with good pay, benefits, and regular hours so that they can meet their family’s food needs. People with disabilities need access to services such as online ordering and food delivery; as Deanna Branch’s parent told reporters, “I can have my food delivered to my door through an app. And we can get fresh, healthy food delivered to our door. I’m glad I don’t have to go out and go shopping, especially with my disability now.”47
Because of the food crisis, individuals and families across the country must rely on local non-profit organizations, food banks, and other charities to meet the their food needs. Increased food insecurity during the pandemic increased reliance on food banks and grocery stores to supplement food budgets family and federal benefits have become less desirable.48 However, as food prices have increased by more than 10 percent in the past 12 months,49 to food banks. , has struggled to keep up with the increased demand for food supplies, 50 while tax revenues are needed to pay for the rising costs of refrigeration, car maintenance, gas prices, and labor costs. Relying on food banks sometimes means people can’t get enough food, including food that’s allergen-free or meets a special need. food specialty.
Lifting communities out of poverty is a long-term solution to food insecurity, but reducing barriers to food access is the next step in achieving a community-based food system and a community where communities develop their own self-sustaining food systems and are less affected by the shocks of society. . Plans to take this step include:
Strengthen government safety net programs to make them more responsive
Strong safety net programs reduce poverty and hunger, improve health, increase economic mobility, and strengthen the nation’s economy. These programs are intended to protect individuals and families from the effects of economic crises, natural disasters, and other emergencies. Low-income and working-class people often turn to SNAP and WIC when struggling with hunger and food insecurity caused by job loss, unemployment, low wages, pregnancy , or other life events that require additional support to the economy.52 Such programs can be important. for low-income parents like Deanna Branch, who attests to the life-saving impact WIC has had on her life: “When I was pregnant and a breastfeeding mother, [WIC] provided a lot of healthy food. A healthy pregnancy requires a lot of healthy food. And it’s hard to find something to eat when it’s wet. WIC really looked out for me … WIC literally saved my life.”53
SNAP, WIC, and other food programs stimulate the economy. Every dollar in new SNAP benefits generated $1.74 in economic activity in the subsequent period. Those who qualify receive $56 in value out of every $1 the government spends on SNAP benefits. This money is spent quickly in the local communities and about 80 percent of the benefits are redeemed within two weeks, and 97 percent were spent within a month.54 Despite the transparency of the return on investment and the need for food security for livelihoods, SNAP and other food web programs are available. it hasn’t been modernized in years. The country’s food web has not been around for a long time, causing a lot of food shortages for those in need in this crisis.
Even in good economic times, the nation’s fragile safety net cannot serve all low-income individuals and families equally.55 As mother Javona Brownlee put it: “I get food stamps [SNAP benefits], but sometimes I still have to go to food. bank … The food stamps are not enough to feed my family, especially with no school [during the summer] and feed them three extra meals a day. I will go to the food bank at least once a month.”56
Safety net programs, including SNAP and WIC, often come under the threat of reduced funding and expanded eligibility requirements—such as extensions, penalized work requirements or limited choices of individuality in the types of foods that people can buy and their benefits—especially when special laws are made. create budget cuts in web programs in order to accommodate tax cuts for the wealthy or other spending priorities. Former President Donald Trump’s FY 2021 budget, for example, provided more than $180 billion in cuts to SNAP, a nearly 30 percent reduction in the program over The 10-year-old, 57 highlighted years of efforts by conservative Republican leaders in Congress to limit access to food assistance. .
Not surprisingly, weakening safety net programs undermines their effectiveness. SNAP, for example, is an automatic security and is available to individuals and families struggling with unemployment or temporary economic hardship.58 But even before the pandemic, the benefits SNAP did not meet the basic needs of a family; in fiscal years 2019 and 2020, they averaged less than $1.40 per person, per meal, making the cost of a healthy meal very affordable.59 In addition, unlike other safety net programs, the maximum amount of SNAP benefits is fixed in the United States, despite regional differences. in food prices. As a result, the maximum SNAP meal benefit does not cover the average cost of an affordable meal in many regions of the country. Even when the USDA updated the SNAP benefit amount in October 2021, the maximum benefit amount still fell to the cost of meals in 21 percent of U.S. counties.60
The Biden administration and the USDA addressed this shortcoming with disease-related legislation, including the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the American Rescue Plan Act, which temporarily removed barriers to access to food aid. , modernized the program and increased benefits by about 25 percent—an average of $36.24 per person each month, or $1.19 per day.62 This change is represents the single largest permanent increase in benefits in SNAP history, but still does not provide adequate support for all who need it.63O receiving more food assistance through SNAP or other food programs allows families to use their food budget to meet other basic needs such as rent, utilities, child care, etc.64 But most of the security is related to temporary illnesses. Additional benefits – such as unemployment insurance and the layoff moratorium – ended last year, 65 low-income Americans again struggle to make ends meet. This shows the need for a strong and responsive safety net. 66
The federal government should expand and strengthen the existing network programs by addressing the available space and strengthen the response to emergencies. Additional strategies to modernize food and appetite are discussed below.
Provide maximum access to federal food programs
Expanding access gives everyone, especially the most vulnerable, access to food and nutrition during emergencies or economic crises. Policymakers should expand emergency services—such as online registration and shopping—to include in disease laws to ensure greater access to program benefits. In addition, policymakers should establish a “no-fault door” approach67 for people who are struggling to provide them with money, food, and housing assistance. if necessary, link their eligibility to multiple benefit programs, providing a real safety net. They should also encourage cooperation and coordination between key government agencies to ensure that individuals and families struggling with economic crisis so they can quickly get the food they need to sustain their lives. Finally, the federal government should work with state and local agencies and non-profit organizations to expand and improve participation in food, nutrition, and other government support programs.
Tailor SNAP and WIC benefits to where families live
Tailoring benefits will ensure families’ access to food and give them purchasing power to stretch their food budgets. States should provide people with more flexibility to obtain a wide range of food and nutrition options that meet family and cultural needs. States should also extend benefits to low-income immigrants, students, Puerto Ricans, and citizens in other territories of the United States,68 as well as the ability of eligible participants to use their SNAP accounts. for online food delivery. Finally, lawmakers should raise the WIC age limit for children from age 5 to age 6, to close the eligibility gap between WIC and age. eat at school, where children will receive school meals.
Focus on equity
Using an equitable lens when considering solutions will ensure that communities of color, single parents, seniors, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, college students, and people living in rural areas can find cheap food and nutrition in their village or nearby. and convenient transportation options. In addition, federal and state policymakers should encourage improved reporting and sharing in all programs that serve children and their parents or caregivers living in poverty to ensure resources reach the people who need them most.
Strengthen food and nutrition infrastructure
Policymakers should invest in food delivery services, food banks, mobile food stores, and food distribution centers. it is aimed at communities such as schools and hospitals. They should also encourage stronger collaboration between federal, state, and local governments and private and nonprofit partners to build broader, more sustainable food supply infrastructure. and nutritious food. In addition, federal and state policy makers should focus on updating their utility infrastructure to ensure that participants have easy access to enrollment and benefits, not just to satisfy them. personnel management but also save costs by increasing productivity.
Reduce administrative burdens that make accessing food programs so cumbersome
Federal and state governments should eliminate work requirements and asset restrictions, relax ID requirements, and reduce verification requests so that participants can use programs and benefits more easily, especially if they face problems. economic situation or a crisis in their lives that requires dependence. good luck with the first one. The federal government should also encourage cooperation and collaboration with other relevant government agencies to facilitate eligibility for, enrollment in, and access to benefit programs, especially during emergencies or there are also times when people need help to stabilize their lives. Finally, the federal government should set time limits on how long people can receive benefits and expand eligibility during natural disasters and weather-related events—such as floods or wildfires. -to make sure no one goes hungry while trying to rebuild their lives.
Strengthen coordination between the private, nonprofit, and public sectors
States and localities should expand and improve participation in federal food programs to include all those in need by expanding the distribution of food, reducing food, and providing more accommodation, such as access to hot, prepared food and drinks or on-site shopping internet.
Address the impacts of climate change and improve market competition
Providing adequate and long-term food also requires a system that can be improved and updated in the face of future changes. This means the adaptation of food production to the realities of climate change, the reduction of dependence on fossil fuels in production and transportation, and the reversal of trends towards coordination in the sector. whole.
Although agricultural yields have increased dramatically over the past half century, maintaining food availability in the face of climate change has big challenges. Food prices have increased in the past year due to droughts caused by climate change,69 rising commodity prices,70 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.71 These changes in prices families feel strongly about food security.
Achieving the country’s commitments to reduce the impacts and adapt to climate change will have important implications for food security. The sector also has unique opportunities to decarbonize the current food production system from fossil fuels and four Activating climate change ecosystems. The agricultural sector is responsible for about 10 percent of the annual income in the United States, and agricultural land has the potential to removes carbon from the air. Strategies to improve food systems in response to climate change and fossil fuel impacts include investing in composting the food industry – including food, harvesting, processing, and distribution – and offering special assistance and incentives to farmers. it increases smart agriculture practices and nature conservation and restoration to increase long-term carbon sequestration and storage.
In addition to climate change affecting food prices and availability, the increase in food prices is due to competitive conditions at various stages of food production and distribution. When there is healthy competition in the market, prices tend to be lower. When competition is limited, however, prices can rise. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the impact of limiting competition in the food supply. The US meat processing industry, for example, is dominated by four large corporations that supply 55 to 85 percent of all beef, pork, and chicken consumed in the United States. In 2021, at the height of the epidemic, the supply problems resulted in a shortage in the country, and these organizations responded by increasing their prices-price reduction-increase prices prices to accommodate demand and increase their profits accordingly. 72 This happened while millions of people were struggling to put food on their tables.
The lack of breast milk in the headlines also highlights the effects of supply shortages. Since one factory that produced a large number of special products and baby eggs closed in February 2022, parents and caregivers across the country faced severe shortages and reduced prices. while looking for an important need.73
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Competition is limited in key areas of the agricultural supply chain, including the production of essential commodities such as seeds, fertilizers, and oil,74 in the production of food such as beef and pork, and many local markets. This means that the price of food is high, and it is difficult for consumers to buy normal food. 75
Because farmers must plant and produce food without knowing the market price in advance, high prices of inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, and oil increase the risk to farmers. , causing them to get low. When there is less competition in the market for things to do, the prices of those things to do will also increase, which will also increase the price of food and cause the availability of food to decrease. 76 The six companies that are controlled now the world market for seeds and agricultural chemicals such as herbicides and insecticides. , and the combination has contributed to high prices.77 The competitive conditions also affect the prices of oil, an important agricultural commodity. The reduction in US refinery capacity since 2020 is likely to increase the market power of refiners, allowing them to increase prices. gasoline and diesel more than compensate for the increased fuel prices. , and the increased strength of the cleaning market will lead to increased food prices.
A food system that works for those who can pay special costs or breaks down in the face of a national emergency, the failure of many sectors, which threatens the health and well-being of the millions of people in the country. Policymakers must address the problems of market competition that hinder access to the country’s food system, develop a more sustainable system and strengthen it to ensure universal access to food and nutrition. They can do this by taking the following steps:
Conclusion
Food is a basic human right necessary for survival, but the United States does not consider access to affordable, healthy food a right that requires government protection. As a result, the country has a fragmented, fragmented food production and distribution system that cannot meet the basic needs of millions of people.
But it shouldn’t be like that. Traditionally, fighting hunger is a two-pronged issue,79 with many policy makers supporting programs and aid designed to reduce hunger and food insecurity. As the United States stands on the cusp of several federal opportunities, including the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act and the Farm Bill, to address hunger in a more meaningful and sustainable way, policymakers can create a food system that prioritizes eliminating hunger as a key. objective of reducing poverty and increasing well-being.
Building a long-term, equitable, and sustainable food system that focuses on unmet needs is critical to economic growth and national prosperity. When people’s basic needs are met, they can focus on building their own financial stability and achieving their American dream. This helps build a stronger, more resilient economy. But public food assistance programs cannot eliminate hunger and food insecurity. To truly end hunger, the United States needs multiple interventions and strategies that include a whole-of-government approach, as well as partnerships with private and nonprofit organizations to address unique needs. the foods of different communities and people.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Javona Brownlee, Deanna Branch, and Stormy Johnson for their valuable insight and kindness in sharing their stories. The authors would also like to express their gratitude to Anona Neal, Justin Dorazio, Calli Singer, Don Wolford, Kyle Ross, Suzanne Harms, Emily DiMatteo, and American Progress’ Editorial team for their support and valuable guidance. in this report.
The positions of American Progress, and our policy experts, are independent, and the findings and conclusions are presented only by American Progress. A full list of sponsors is available here. American Progress would like to thank the many generous supporters who make our work possible.
