Remarks in Support of S. 3307 -- The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010

I rise in support of S. 3307, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Act of 2010. The passage of this bill, which would reauthorize the Child Nutrition Act, is critical to our nation's children -- to their health and well-being, and to their academic success in school.

Making sure that our children get a world-class education cannot be accomplished if our children don't get the proper nutrition to make it through the day and learn. I have a background of involvement in public education, both as Superintendent of a public charter school I started as well as Chairman of the Colorado State Board of Education, I have tasted and eaten many school lunches and I have seen firsthand how lack of access to nutritious food prevents too many kids from reaching their full potential, academically and physically.

Childhood hunger and poor nutrition are two of the greatest public health challenges--and education challenges--facing our country today. Nearly one-third of American children are overweight or obese and many of those who are overweight or obese also suffer from malnutrition. This number has been on the rise nationally as well in my state of Colorado.

This bill tackles both hunger and obesity by addressing access to food and the nutritional quality of food, and I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of the House version of this bill. This bill facilitates a coordinated approach across all levels of government--the private sector, communities, schools, and families--to make real positive change.

Specifically, this bill ensures that up to 115,000 more eligible children access school meals through direct certification, reducing paper work, making qualification easier and creating savings for school districts.

It increases the lunch reimbursement rate by 6 cents per meal - the first increase in over 30 years; requires updated federal nutritional standards for school meals; strengthens local school wellness policies; and continues to provide schools increased resources and training to improve meal quality.

In particular, I am very pleased that this bill would strengthen school districts' wellness policies. These provisions, which I introduced in the House in H.R. 5090 -- The Nutrition Education and Wellness in Schools or NEW Schools Act, were also supported by the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity' report.

Our schools should be our first defense against childhood obesity and unhealthy nutrition habits that stay with kids as they mature into adults can even have an intergenerational effect across their lives.

While hunger affects people of all ages, it is particularly devastating for children.

Overall, this is a very strong bill that makes the necessary and responsible investments and represents a critical step in answering President Obama and First Lady Obama's call to end childhood hunger and promote children's health. It is imperative that we pass this bill today.

For the sake of the health and well being of our nation's school children and our future, I urge my colleagues to pass the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. Thank you.

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