The child nutrition bill made it through Congress Thursday and Obama is expected to promptly sign it. The $4.5 billion child nutrition bill will give food to more poor children with free of charge school lunches and dinners, enhance the nutritional quality of school cafeteria meals and get junk food out of school vending machines. House Republicans predictably opposed the bill as big govt in action, however Democrats cut financing from anti-hunger programs for needy households to mitigate the cost of the child nutrition bill.
The contents of the child nutrition bill
The child nutrition bill was passed by the House on a 264-157 vote. It was approved within the Senate last summer by unanimous consent. $4.5 billion could be added to the government spending on child nutrition over the next decade. Increasing more than inflation for the first time since 1973, could be the federal reimbursements to families for school lunches. Language in the child nutrition bill gives the secretary of agriculture authority to set standards for meals consumed by school kids, including food sold in vending machines. New standards will require schools to serve more fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy.
Child nutrition bill supported by who?
The food nutrition bill had been written with guidance from studies conducted by the National Academy of Sciences and input from children’s advocates as well as the food industry. United in support of the bill were health care, educational and religious groups, along with labor unions and the food, beverage, dairy and supermarket industries. The nation's health has been shown in many studies to be substantially impacted by school lunch programs. Reducing health care costs, enhancing learning, reducing childhood hunger and obesity, are just a couple of the benefits of having a good lunch program in place.
Political debate about child nutrition
Republicans tried to derail the child nutrition bill with a procedural maneuver that would have sent it back to the Senate rather than to the president for a signature. Republicans take over the house in January, and if they could have just gotten it delayed that long they would have killed the whole bill then. The Republican party line was that the bill increased federal spending and also the government had no business telling families what they should eat. To offset the $4.5 billion cost of the bill, Democrats diverted $2.2 billion from food stamp programs for low-income families. In the end, 15 Republicans crossed the isle to vote for the bill.
Citations
New York Times
nytimes.com/2010/12/03/us/politics/03child.html?_r=1
Washington Post
washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/02/AR2010120202737.html?hpid=topnews
NPR
npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=131206956
The contents of the child nutrition bill
The house passed the child nutrition bill with a 264-157 vote. It was approved in the Senate last summer by unanimous consent. In the span of 10-years, government spending on child nutrition will increase by $4.5 billion. Federal reimbursements to families for school lunches will increase more than the inflation rate for the first time since 1973. Not only will the secretary of agriculture have the power to set the standards in school lunches, it will also have the power to control what is sold in vending machines. These new implementations are going to bring more grains, less fat, and more fruits and veggies to school children's food.
The supporters of the child nutrition bill
The food nutrition bill was written with guidance from studies conducted by the National Academy of Sciences and input from children’s advocates as well as the food industry. Labor unions, health care industries, educational groups, religious groups, beverage groups, and many more all support this bill being implemented. There have been many studies conducted that show school lunch programs alone impact the whole nation's health. The bill’s supporters said it could enhance learning, reduce health care costs and help reduce both childhood hunger and obesity.
Child nutrition turned into politics
Republicans attempted to keep this off of the president's desk and sent back to the Senate. They were pushing for simply a delay until January when they take over the house so they could kill the bill then. Republicans said this bill will just increase government spending, and that it was not the governments job to tell people how to eat. The $4.5 billion this program will cost is going to come in part from a cut in food stamps by $2.2 billion. 15 republicans did agree on the bill anyway.
Information from
New York Times
nytimes.com/2010/12/03/us/politics/03child.html?_r=1
Washington Post
washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/02/AR2010120202737.html?hpid=topnews
NPR
npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=131206956
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