Magaziner Delivers 25th House Floor Speech Urging Restoration of Food Aid for Malnourished Children

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner (RI-02) delivered his 25th speech on the House floor demanding that the Trump Administration restore federal funding forReady-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), a lifesaving treatment for malnourished children around the world. This comes as part of Magaziner’s commitment to speak on the House floor every day the chamber is in session until funding is reinstated. 

Edesia Nutrition, based in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, is one of two organizations in the United States that manufactures RUTF. The Trump Administration has halted all funding for new orders of RUTF since President Trump took office earlier this year, despite repeated promises from the Administration that funding would continue. 

Unlike in the Senate, House Members cannot filibuster. But they may speak on the House floor forbetween one to five minutes each day — a right Magaziner plans to use until funding for RUTF is restored. 

He released the following statement: 

“We can’t wait another day to deliver lifesaving food aid to malnourished children around the world. Just one month of production at Edesia Nutrition in North Kingstown can save 400,000 children.

Despite repeated promises from the Trump Administration, funding for this critical aid remains stalled. This is a moral failure, and it must be fixed immediately.”

You can find a full recording of Magaziner’s 25th floor speech calling for food aid here.

BACKGROUND:

Plumpy’Nut, a ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) is a nutrient-dense, life-saving paste, is one of the most effective methods of treating children with severe acute malnutrition. In the United States, USAID has funded the manufacture and distribution of Plumpy'Nut to the developing world fordecades.

Edesia produces more than 88 million pounds of Plumpy'Nut per year – enough to save 5 million starving children. Their products have treated malnutrition in infants and children across more than 65 countries, saving approximately 26 million lives since 2010.

Since the Trump Administration took office, Edesia has received no new orders from the federal government, causing production to nearly halt, despite assurances from the administration that funding for emergency food aid produced by Edesia will continue.

Magaziner vowed to keep pressing the issue on the House floor until federal funding for RUTF is reinstated.