Political Quotes

“I rise in support of S. 870 which authorizes the extension of a valuable school pilot program included in the 2002 Farm Bill, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Fruit and Vegetable pilot program. This program has provided an extraordinary opportunity to distribute free fruits and vegetables to students throughout the school day in an effort to increase their consumption of these healthful foods. Because this pilot did not begin until nearly midway through the school year, participating schools have requested that the Congress allow them additional time to complete the pilot program. I have been pleased with the popularity of this pilot program and the evidence of its success. The USDA recently released a report on the pilot program. Within their evaluation they found that it was popular among most students, parents, State representatives, teachers, principals, pilot managers and food service staff. The USDA's evaluation also found that students consumed over 90 percent of servings offered thus far. No one can dispute the importance of a healthy diet, especially for growing children. Yet, for a number of reasons, many children don't eat enough fruits and vegetables as recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Food Guide Pyramid. This pilot also is critically important to help encourage healthy dietary habits among the growing number of children in this country who are overweight or obese.”