Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015

Floor Speech

The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4800) making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration. and Related Agencies programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2015, and for other purposes:

Ms. LINDA T. SÁNCHEZ of California. Mr. Chair, I rise today in opposition of the proposed language that provides schools with waivers for meeting school meal standards. As the House considers the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2015, I press my colleagues to support an amendment striking this waiver from the bill.
Congress has made great progress in improving the health of our nation's students. Since the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 school lunches and breakfasts have become healthier.

In my District's Gahr High School, Food Service Cafeteria Manager, Linda Harbin, notes that the menu at Gahr High School and other schools in the ABC Unified School District changed drastically since the new school food guidelines began implementation. On average, Gahr High School serves 450 meals for lunch and before the new meal requirements they were only serving about 250 meals. Harbin meets monthly with about 100 other school food service workers in my District, and is hearing they are having similar experiences with increases in meals being purchased and decreases in ``plate waste''. Requiring school meal standards is working.

Students are currently served lower calorie meals with more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, helping reduce their risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases. For many children, the meals they eat in school are the most nutritious meals they eat all week. With increasing rates of childhood poverty and obesity, coupled with a difficult economy and rising food costs, many families cannot afford more nutritious foods and rely on school meals as a quality source of nutrition for their children.

We cannot waiver our support for improving the health of our students.
As the House considers the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2015, I ask that my colleagues join me in opposing language that provides schools with waivers for meeting school meal standards. Let's work together to keep our kids healthy.

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