Sen. Bernie Sanders and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Aging Kathy Greenlee joined dozens of seniors for lunch on Tuesday at the Heineberg Senior Center in Burlington, Vt. Sanders emphasized the importance of congregate meals programs for seniors. "These programs are enormously important for seniors all over the country. It's not only good nutrition, it's the opportunity to go out and socialize with friends," said Sanders, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging. "Needless to say ... in Washington right now there are folks who would rather give tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires rather than fund senior nutrition programs. That's a fight that we are waging." A few hours later, about 30 leaders in the fight against senior hunger joined Sanders and the assistant secretary for a roundtable discussion on senior nutrition issues. "Senior hunger is on the rise in this country," Assistant Secretary for Aging Greenlee said. "This recession has been very hard on seniors."

Report: "Senior Hunger: The Human Toll and Budget Consequences"

Watch Sen. Sanders speak about senior hunger