Senate Agriculture chairman Pat Roberts said “we’re nearly at the finish line” on closed-door negotiations to reauthorize child-nutrition programs that cost $21 billion a year, said Agri-Pulse. At a news conference, Roberts said the legislation would not provide new funding for the nutrition programs, which are headlined by school lunch – “That’s just the way it is.” The Democratic leader on the committee, Debbie Stabenow, said she was optimistic that a bipartisan agreement was at hand.
“Neither senator provided any details of what issues have been settled and what issues may remain outstanding. But the bill will almost certainly expand summer feeding programs,” said Agri-Pulse. Roberts told reporters that he was coordinating discussions over a child-nutrition bill with the chairman of the House Education Committee, which also has jurisdiction over the programs. Its chairman, John Kline, of Minnesota, said Congress should give schools “the flexibility they need to fulfill the promise of child nutrition assistance.”
The Obama administration and Democratic lawmakers have urged more funding for the summer food program, higher participation in school breakfast, and more schools enrolled in a program that allows free meals for all pupils in low-income neighborhoods. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack asked pediatricians attending the American Academy of Pediatrics national convention this week to speak against a weakening of school-food reforms mandated by a 2010 law. Some Republican lawmakers say the reforms, which call for more fruit, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy, are too expensive and that the new menus, with less salt, fat and sugar, are not popular.
“We need to make sure every child has access to healthy meals throughout the year, both in school and during the summer, which is why it’s so important that Congress move forward with a balanced, bipartisan child-nutrition bill this year,” Stabenow said in a statement.
More than 30 million children eat hot meals each day through the school lunch program, with two-thirds of them qualifying for free meals. The school breakfast program serves 14 million meals a day and the summer food program reaches less than 4 million children.