U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., Chairman of the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, today issued the following statement after President Barack Obama signed, The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act into law. The legislation, authored by Lincoln, reauthorizes federal child nutrition programs and makes the largest investment in the programs since their inception. It provides for the first non-inflationary increase in the federal reimbursement rate for school lunch programs since 1973, and takes a critical step toward addressing the epidemic of childhood obesity by establishing national nutrition standards for all foods sold on school campuses throughout the school day. The bill received strong bipartisan support in both the House and Senate and is completely paid for.
“Today we made an historic investment in our children that will last a lifetime. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act puts us on a path toward improving the health of the next generation of Americans, providing common-sense solutions to tackling childhood hunger and obesity,” said Lincoln. “This bill ensures that our children will receive healthier, more nutritious meals and removes the red tape that prevents so many from participating in nutrition programs. Because of this bill, an additional 29 million meals a year will be served through afterschool programs, touching the lives of millions of Americans who are working hard to make ends meet during tough economic times. I thank First Lady Michelle Obama for her tireless work and dedication to shine a light on the issues of childhood hunger and obesity. I was proud to work with her to produce this bill that will serve as the legislative cornerstone of her “Let’s Move” Campaign. I look forward to continuing to work with her and President Obama in ensuring that our children have access to healthy, nutritious foods.”
Detailed summaries of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act are available at http://ag.senate.gov/site/legislation.html
