This bill matters because names hold significance, and the names we choose for public programs reflect the values we want to uphold. The National School Lunch Program provides vital meals to millions of children, and this bill aims to align its foundational law's name with principles of equity and inclusion.

If this bill becomes law, the National School Lunch Program will be formally linked to the legacy of Jean E. Fairfax, a civil rights activist who worked to ensure the program served all children fairly. This would be a symbolic shift acknowledging her contributions. If the bill does not pass, the program will continue to be named after Richard B. Russell, whose historical opposition to civil rights and school integration is explicitly detailed in the bill, meaning the program's official name would remain associated with a figure whose views contrast with modern values of equality.