Political Quotes

“I am very pleased that the Senate has passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. I am supportive of the final product before us to reauthorize these important child nutrition programs. The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry had three goals in mind as we drafted the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010: expand access to existing programs to better reach children in need, improve the nutritional quality of meals, and simplify program rules to improve operations. I am extremely pleased that all three of these goals are met with this legislation. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 makes a significant investment of over $3 billion to improve the nutritional quality of school meals. The performance-based increase to the reimbursement rate should entice more schools to meet higher standards faster than an across-the-board increase. This legislation also gives USDA the authority to regulate all foods sold on school campuses, far beyond the existing authority to regulate only meals served through the National School Lunch Program. I have been impressed with industry efforts to work with schools to create consistent voluntary guidelines to reduce caloric intake of food and beverages sold on school campuses. I urge the Secretary of Agriculture to look closely at the success of existing voluntary agreements and use them as a model for future regulations.”