Democrats nominated Chef José Andrés and the World Central Kitchen (WCK) for the Nobel Peace Prize, just after a House GOP lawmaker nominated former President Trump for the prestigious award.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) along with Reps. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) nominated the celebrity chef and his not-for-profit non-government organization (NGO) in a letter addressed to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, citing his “innovative model” and his impact as a “global phenomenon” by providing more than 350 million dishes worldwide made by locals.
“During many dark and difficult times, the impact Chef Andrés and the World Central Kitchen has been extraordinary,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter.
“All are in awe of how, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Chef Andrés quickly marshaled the effort to provide 40 million meals to feed the hungry across the world,” they added.
They also commended him for helping to feed the National Guard soldiers in 2021 amid the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, how his NGO distributed hot meals and grocery kits in Kyiv during the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war and the aid the group offered to displaced Palestinians amid the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Andrés is a Washington, D.C.-based restaurateur whose disaster relief fund gives out meals during natural disasters, namely starting off right after the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010.
The well-known chef, who operates a two-Michelin-star restaurant as well as several Bib Gourmands, has built his NGO into an organization that topped $500 million in annual revenue in 2022.
His prize nomination came just after Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney (N.Y.) nominated the former president for brokering the Abraham Accords — a formal treaty to normalize relations between the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Israel.