Julián Castro, in Plan to End Hunger, Warns Against Neglecting the Poor

One week after he was left off the Democratic debate stage for the first time this primary season, Julián Castro called for broad expansions to federal food programs, including free breakfast and lunch for all public school students, saying the country had a “moral obligation” to make sure children have enough to eat.

“The right to eat is a human right,” said Mr. Castro, the former federal housing secretary and mayor of San Antonio. “This is an urgent need for too many children. We’ve had a problem in this country with people who are lost in poverty that is stifling.”

The plan comes as most polls show Mr. Castro with the support of between 0 and 1 percent of Democratic primary voters, and as his campaign said it needed 7,500 additional donors to hit the donor requirement for the next debate, scheduled for Dec. 19. His campaign says he has no plans to drop out of the race.

Mr. Castro’s campaign has focused heavily on policies that would help the poor, and recent campaign stops have included touring a sprawling homeless encampment in Oakland, Calif., and a food pantry in Las Vegas.

Source: The New York Times

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