We cannot expect children to learn or excel in the classroom if they are hungry or are not properly nourished.

This is about leadership, as Mr. Payne so rightly suggested. And it is about creativity. And it is about flexibility.

I think it has been very enlightening and very helpful to many of us who are honestly trying to learn more about this situation and get to an equitable and proper resolution.

This bill is certainly not my idea. I am carrying, and I love the idea. It has been around for quite a while now.

I might be willing to help you with that in light of other technologies or other ways we can get to the bottom of waste, fraud, and abuse.

Do you have all the teeth that you need in current law in order to make that department of integrity work?

Should we raise it to 10 percent?

We have limited funds. As a member of the Budget Committee, I can definitely tell you that we are broke.

The goal, frankly, should be to get the kids off these programs. Our success should not be measured by how many are on these programs.

I agree with the fact that we need to have this oversight in this committee. What I don't agree with is how we go about it, so uneven and heavy-handed.

The desire to improve the efficiency in our child nutrition programs is a good one, but must not lead to more hungry or food insecure children.