Miller Statement on Irresponsible Agriculture Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller, senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food & Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2012. The legislation makes harmful cuts to the Women, Infants and Children program (WIC) and threatens the quality and nutrition of the school meals program. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimated that the bill would cut 400,000 to 550,000 eligible low-income women and young children from WIC.
“The Republican bill is harmful, ineffective and plays politics with our children’s health. WIC is a necessity for thousands of moms and their children, and these cuts are a slap in the face to those who rely on these services to help feed their families. There is no place for partisan politics when it comes to the well-being of our children.
“The Republicans also roll back important and historic substantive changes we made to the school meals program last Congress. For millions of children, the meals they eat at school serve as a nutritional safety net – denying these children healthy options at school is just another example of House Republicans choosing to prioritize oil companies and big business instead of the children who need our help the most.
“Once again, House Republicans are out of touch with reality and they are putting our kids in danger. This is just one of numerous actions the Republicans are taking that will hurt this nation’s children’s well-being and achievement. In this economy, we have to make tough choices when it comes to government spending. But time and time again, Republicans are choosing to make those choices on the backs of children and hard working American families.”
BACKGROUND ON NUTRITION STANDARDS:
Last year, Congress passed the bipartisan Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 which established a timeframe for the Secretary to promulgate the proposed, as well as interim and final regulations to update the meal patterns and improve nutrition standards for school meals. The law also provided an increase of 6 cents per lunch in federal cash reimbursements, adjusted for inflation in future years, for those schools that meet the new meal patterns.
This January, the Department of Agriculture issued proposed regulations for the new meal standards, based on the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, which call for increases in the availability of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat free and low-fat milk, and reducing sodium and saturated fat. The comment period for the proposed rule recently closed and the Department of Agriculture is in the process of reading through recommendations and concerns from a diverse group of stakeholders ranging from school groups to anti-hunger groups.
The House Agriculture Appropriations bill includes committee report language that requires USDA to stop their current rulemaking on improved nutrition standards and re-issue regulations that are cost-neutral. This requirement will delay, if not eliminate entirely, USDA’s work to provide healthier school meals for students.
For more information on the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, click here.
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