Albio Sires: “let me start by recognizing the good work of my colleague, Congresswoman Gwen Moore. I appreciate her efforts to bring…”

“let me start by recognizing the good work of my colleague, Congresswoman Gwen Moore. I appreciate her efforts to bring this important program to our attention. The School Breakfast Program began as a pilot program in 1966 and has grown to serve over 10 million children nationwide. In New Jersey, almost 145,000 students ate a school breakfast during the 2007 school year; yet there are many students who cannot participate because their school does not offer this program. This is important because research has shown how vital a good breakfast is for learning. Children who eat a healthy breakfast have higher standardized test scores; do much better in math, reading, and vocabulary tests; and attend school more regularly compared with children who do not eat breakfast. Congress should act to increase funding for this program so that many more students can be served. It is a smart investment in our future. I encourage all of my colleagues to support this resolution and this important program. I thank Congresswoman Moore.”