House panel approves sweeping expansion of child nutrition programs

[babylonsister]

And 13 people managed to vote against even this. x(

House panel approves sweeping expansion of child nutrition programs
By Mike Lillis - 07/15/10 01:58 PM ET


A House panel on Thursday easily cleared the way for a lower-chamber vote on legislation to strengthen and expand child nutrition programs. The $8 billion tab, however, has yet to be covered, leaving supporters with the unenviable task of finding significant offsets before the bill can hit the floor.

Sponsored by Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the Improving Nutrition for America’s Children Act would create new national meal programs targeting low-income children; expand existing programs to benefit more at-risk children; streamline enrollment to ensure eligible children are receiving due help; and bolster protections against food contamination in schools.

The benefits, Miller said, are three-fold. They feed hungry children; they reduce childhood obesity, saving money down the line; and they protect children from the dangers of foodborne illness.

“If we allow more children to go hungry by not taking swift action with this legislation, we fail our children, their families and the future of this country,” said Miller, the chairman of the Education and Labor Committee. “The health and academic success of an entire generation of children is at stake.”

Thursday’s committee vote was 32 to 13, with three panel Republicans — Reps. Mike Castle (Del.), Vernon Ehlers (Mich.) and Todd Platts (Pa.) — joining all voting Democrats in support of the bill.

Other Republicans aren’t so sure. While most GOP leaders are supportive of the move to reauthorize the existing nutrition bill, they’ve balked at the broader expansions, which come with a pricetag expected to be around $8 billion over the next decade.

Rep. John Kline (Minn.), senior Republican on the Education and Labor panel, said the bill represents a “costly expansion of the federal government at a time the country can least afford it.”

more...

http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/food-safety/109045-house-panel-approves-sweeping-expansion-of-child-nutrition-programs

[PDJane]

1. When the country can least afford it

Is the time that these programs can make the most difference. I swear that these folks have their heads somewhere that even a proctologist couldn't find ........

[Parche]

2. who are the fukwad republicans that voted no?

:hi::hug:

[babylonsister]

5. Notably, Rep. John Kline (Minn.), senior Republican on the Education and Labor panel.

All other names were 'conveniently' left out of this article.

:hi:

[backscatter712]

3. Rush Limbaugh's not gonna like this.

He's the one who suggested that kids whose parents couldn't afford to feed them, that didn't have access to school lunch programs, go dumpster diving.

[donco6]

4. We lobbied our Reps a few years ago to drop the "reduced" lunch category

And just make it free for anyone who qualifies. Bruce Benson told us that parents should just pack kids lunches and we shouldn't be providing it at all.

:(

[sandnsea]

7. The food is to raise healthy soldiers

During WWII they had to refuse a lot of men due to disease that was directly caused from malnutrition. That's why we have a school lunch program. Please promise me you will personally take that information to Bruce Benson and ask him what he thinks of that.

And reduced lunches are a godsend and very affordable. Make sure kids have lunch in summer, that is really helpful. And get pop-tarts off the breakfast menu.

[donco6]

8. Thankfully, he lost re-election.

And now we offer free summer food at five schools - we feed over 100 kids every day. Cool!

I'll check on the Pop-Tarts, but I've never seen those. We usually can't have that much sugar.

[sandnsea]

9. They used to in the 80s

I was kind of shocked at some of the foods on the breakfast menu the first time my kids were in a school that had one. That was in Arkansas. Glad to hear that has changed.

When I moved to this town in '97, the middle school and high school didn't even have a lunch program. I was kind of shocked at that too. They finally got one when they built the new middle school. I think the Boys/Girls Club is doing the lunch program for summer. I've seen them in parks sometimes too. Our school would never do it unless they could figure out some way to bring in more money with it. We were doing pretty good, and then our local liberal school board member passed away. She had the fight of 5 people. They replaced her with a little kissy-face whose biggest concern is that the high school doesn't have a friendly look. I don't have a lot of hope with this board in place. They're more concerned with being fiscally responsible and the rainy day fund then keeping core teachers on staff. It's crazy.

Anyhoo, congrats on getting rid of your nutbag. I bet he thought waitresses should get $2.00 hr too, like the other nutbag in Minnesota. Somebody needs to take them a chalkboard and chalk and have them do some math some day.

[sandnsea]

6. Afghanistan cost $7 billion in May

We can afford that much to feed hungry kids over ten years.

[midnight]

10. An entire generation of children are at stake and we can't

get this properly funded because John Kline says it expands federal govt. at this time. I can't believe the priorities of these cheapskates. Cut corners for the children of this country as long as their fat cat friends get mega tax breaks.

[G_j]

11. cheapskates is putting it nicely,

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron".

Dwight D. Eisenhower