Press Release
ICYMI: MNGOP Senator says “I have yet to meet a person in Minnesota that is hungry”
03/15/2023
Today, the Minnesota DFL Party issued a sharp rebuke to Republican Senator Steve Drazkowski for claiming he had never met a Minnesotan that was hungry during yesterday’s debate on a bill to provide meals for all Minnesota students.
During that debate, Drazkowski claimed the bill to feed all students was unnecessary because, as Drazkowski put it, “I have yet to meet a person in Minnesota that is hungry. Yet today, I have yet to meet a person in Minnesota that says they don’t have access to enough food to eat.” Drazkowski went on to mock the idea of struggling with hunger, claiming that hunger is a “relative term” and saying “I had a cereal bar for breakfast, I guess I’m hungry now.”
The truth is that there were 5.5 million visits to Minnesota food pantries in 2022, and that 1 in 6 students experiences food insecurity.
DFL Party Communications Director Brian Evans released the following statement in response to Drazkowski’s comments:
“DFL leaders are fighting to make sure no kids go hungry in Minnesota, and it is a shame that Republicans like Steve Drazkowski are ignoring and even mocking that important work.
“When Drazkowski says he has never met a hungry Minnesotan, he is either lying or he is deliberately ignoring the families in his district and across the state that are struggling. While Republicans revel in their ignorance and cruelty, DFLers are committed to improving the lives of Minnesotans across the state.”
In Case You Missed It:
The Washington Post: Minn. Republican says he’s never met a hungry person in his state
NBC: GOP state legislator opposed to free school lunch proposal says he’s never met a hungry Minnesotan
Bring Me the News: Lawmaker votes against free school meals, saying he’s never met a hungry Minnesotan
Rolling Stone: GOP Lawmaker Says Children Aren’t Hungry Enough to Justify Free Meals at School
The Independent: Republican lawmaker provokes outrage after voting against free school meals, saying ‘hunger is relative’
Business Insider: Minnesota Republican votes against free school meals bill because ‘I have yet to meet a person in Minnesota that is hungry’