Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise to support the Healthy, Hunger- Free Kids Act of 2010. This important legislation will expand access to school meals programs and improve nutritional quality. It is a much- needed step forward for the health of America's children. This bill improves access to school meals programs by streamlining certification of children who meet income requirements without burdensome applications. It provides more universal meal access for eligible children in high-poverty areas. And it increases the number of out-of-school meals for low-income children by allowing reimbursement for Child and Adult Care Food Program providers. The bill also makes important improvements to the quality of school meals by increasing the reimbursement rates for schools for the first time in over 30 years. Additional grants will help communities establish and strengthen farm-to-school networks and school gardens to use more local foods in school cafeterias. And the bill strengthens nutrition standards for all food served in schools. This bill is not perfect. I am concerned about using the SNAP program as an offset, and I look forward to working with the Administration to restore those funds before cuts take place in 2013. But this bill, which passed the U.S. Senate unanimously, makes important changes to school nutrition programs and will improve the health of our nation's children. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.”