Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 362, which expresses the House of Representatives' support of the goals and ideals of the National School Lunch Program. When it comes to education in our country, we traditionally focus on reading, writing, and extracurricular activities. We want to ensure that our students have access to well-trained teachers and to the tools they need to achieve academic success. However, we often forget that an essential tool to any child's academic success can also be found outside the classroom--in the school cafeteria. Children who are hungry are at a disadvantage to their peers. Studies have shown that children who experience hunger throughout the day have higher likelihoods of receiving lower math scores, of having decreased attentiveness, increased absences and tardiness, and a higher chance of having to repeat a grade. Children who are not well nourished are also more likely to need referrals to special education services. We know that nearly one-third of our Nation's children today are overweight and obese. Obesity rates have soared over the past four decades among children of all age groups, increasing nearly five-fold among those who are ages 6 through 11. Teaching children to have a healthy relationship with food and nutrition has never been more important.”