It's all around us. We can't ignore it.

It's the houseless family waiting at their local shelter. It's the parent who skips dinner so their child can eat. It's the service worker having to decide between buying food and paying the rent.

Hunger is all around us, and we must not ignore it.

Hunger is the silent epidemic, something far too many Americans quietly suffer, too often — all while our nation's wealthiest are raking in billions at historic rates.

That's why I'm calling on President Joe Biden to appoint a Hunger Czar, someone who's sole task in his administration is addressing our nation's hunger epidemic.

We're seeing food insecurity impact a record number of Americans. Studies show that more than 50 million people across the country are falling through the cracks in our social safety net. More than a million of those people are right here in Massachusetts.

A Hunger Czar would help this along by demonstrating that the Biden Administration is aware of this plight and fully committed to addressing hunger across America — not just with one-time COVID help, but with a connected strategy built from the foundations of this presidency.

With the resources our nation has at its disposal, and Democrats controlling each chamber of government, there's no excuse we can't end that now. Because no one should have to suffer hunger, not when our country is generating wealth at unprecedented levels.

I will be pushing for this each and every day, because this is a problem that can't stay silent any longer. And I want that to stop. Right now.