Legislation authorizing child nutrition programs is set to expire on September 30, 2010 and Congress is facing increasing pressure to take action for renewal and improvement of these programs before adjourning for the fall election season. But it is uncertain whether final decisions will be made in time and without damage to other nutrition assistance programs.
The Senate passed its child nutrition bill, S. 3307, the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, in August by unanimous consent. The bill contains provisions costing an additional $4.5 billion over the next ten years that will improve the nutritional quality of school meals and expand meal service to children in day care. But at least part of the money – $2.2 billion – to pay for these improvements would come from future cuts in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps).
In the House of Representatives, legislation (H.R. 5504, Improving Nutrition for America’s Children Act) passed out of the Education and Labor Committee in July. That bill would make $8 billion in nutrition investments over 10 years without cutting SNAP. However, to expedite passage before the end of the month, House leaders are being urged to adopt the Senate bill without any amendments.
Nutrition advocates are adamant that child nutrition changes be enacted without damaging SNAP. They were joined on September 21 by Mission Readiness, a national security group of retired generals and admirals whose report released last April, “Too Fat to Fight,” expressed concern over growing child obesity that is compromising military preparedness. “Obesity rates threaten the overall health of America and the future strength of our military,” said retired Rear Admiral Jamie Barnett of the Navy. “We must act now. We cannot afford to raise another generation of young adults where one in four is too overweight to serve their country.” read more…
