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Child Nutrition Improvement and Integrity Act

Date: March 30, 2004
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Minors and Children Health and Health Care


CHILD NUTRITION IMPROVEMENT AND INTEGRITY ACT -- (Extensions of Remarks - March 30, 2004)

SPEECH OF
HON. DANNY K. DAVIS
OF ILLINOIS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 2004

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I supported H.R. 3873, the Child Nutrition Improvement and Integrity Act last week on the House floor and again commend Chairman BOEHNER, Ranking Member MILLER, Subcommittee Chairman CASTLE and Ranking Member WOOLSEY for their hard work and collaboration on a bipartisan bill which continues to feed our Nation's children.

However, due to our Nation's budget being in the red, it is bothersome that we can not feed more of our Nation's children whose parents are hard working Americans. It is bothersome that there are children whose families can not even afford the reduced price meals but are simply not poor enough to receive free lunch. With over 500 school boards and many state boards of education urging Congress to eliminate the reduced price charge-Congress has replied with "we just can not afford to help your children eat".

It is also bothersome that some in Congress feel that it is inappropriate to recommend what foods are healthy and should be given to students and what unhealthy foods should be kept off the menu. The argument is why would schools attempt to provide healthy foods when students can simply get the unhealthy foods outside of school. Should our schools begin to give up on a student in the 9th or 10th grade because neither parent graduated high school? Should our schools not teach a student to read because neither parent is literate nor does the home provides newspapers or books to read? Should our schools not teach algebra, geometry, or calculus because the parent can only do simply math with a calculator?

Our schools have been the stepping stone to a better life for many individuals than the life of which their parents had academically, socially, emotionally and there is no reason why nutritionally can not be added to the list.

Mr. Speaker, I supported this reauthorization last week-but only wish we could have done more to prevent more children from going hungry.

END

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