The Senate Agriculture Committee opened work on reauthorization of child nutrition programs, including school lunch, with a 90-minute hearing that hailed the role of good nutrition in academic success and long-term health. “This is just the beginning. It was important to start with the big picture,” said chairwoman Debbie Stabenow. She told reporters there will be “many other hearings. We’re going to hear from those on the ground.”
Stabenow said a reauthorization bill must be passed in 2015. She said she has not settled on initiatives or revisions for the programs. USDA says it spends about $20 billion a year on child nutrition. Roughly 30 million children participate in the school lunch program.