On the recordOctober 26, 2023
I want to thank my colleague for his comments. This is so serious for children. But let me be clear. Clear. The U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrition programs do not fund anything related to school bathrooms or school sports. This is a rule about making sure all children have access to school meals. They are not discriminated against. The children aren't blocked from getting school meals if they are gay or nonbinary or transgender. And it is true, there were 22 Republican attorneys general who took the Department of Agriculture to court. Do you know why? The case got thrown out. The case got thrown out, and the judge called it a political stunt. The USDA has not threatened to withhold food from any child in school. In fact, the case that my friend talked about was a California statute, not USDA. The USDA has not threatened to withhold food from any child in school, period. So I am committed to advancing real policies that make a difference to our children but not wasting the Senate's time on political stunts. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time is expired.





