Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act: Senate Passes First Lady-Backed Child Nutrition Bill

Jane Black at The Washington Post:

The Senate passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act on Thursday, a bill that provides an additional $4.5 billion over 10 years to federal child nutrition programs including school lunch. If signed into law, it will be the first time that the federal government has increased funding for the programs in 30 years.

The bill was bipartisan and fully paid for. But advocates, led by Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), had battled to find time for a vote in an intensely busy legislative period. On Monday, Michelle Obama, a strong proponent of school lunch reform, called for the Senate to act in an op-ed in The Washington Post. In the end, the bill was passed through a process known as unanimous consent, where all 100 senators agreed to pass the bill without a voice vote.

Read the whole story: Jane Black at The Washington Post

Comments

[OKSunny]

01:19 PM on 08/11/2010

No matter your politics or like/ dislike of Obama, the Govt, whatever....NO child should go hungry in America (or the rest of the world for that matter)

[Tiggy]

05:19 PM on 08/09/2010

Great Step Forward! Now if we can only get food manufactures from adding junk to so called healthy meals! You can serve a fruit cocktail and call if healthy, but if it is loaded with HFCS or Sugar there went the healthy. Same with Salad when you add flavored bacon bits, croutons, non organic cheese and salad dressings. The whole of the food needs to be healthy. Same with Milk with the addition of flavored chocolate and antibiotics and list is endless.
Again, while kids lunches are a first step, we need more legislation over the food industry. While they may be providing low cost food, they are increasing medical costs and literally killing us.

[angrypatriot22]

03:57 PM on 08/08/2010

Good small step, but until the USDA starts reimbursing schools that serve healthy foods, but don't meet a rediculously high caloric benchmark, I don't see a whole lot of greatness in it. We also need to abolish the subsidy programs that restrict the growing of real fruits and vegetables on program crop lands. It keeps the cost of healthy foods high, and corn based foods (think every snack food imaginable and soda with HFCS) at a much lower price. A better American diet would be the best preventive care as well as increase the effectiveness of recent healthcare legislation. As long as we are sick, we are less productive as a country and more dependent upon broken systems and a grid of industries riddled with corporate greed. The inherent evil in capitalism should never have spread to the institutions that provide for our advancement as humans.

[fridakahlofan]

07:03 AM on 08/08/2010

I'm so proud to have Michelle Obama as our First Lady. And, I wish her more success in her work for America's children.

[BannedNBoston]

04:10 PM on 08/07/2010

Why Mark Penn worked for Hilary...
http://www.rense.com/general91/dehe.htm

[only livin boy in NY]

03:13 PM on 08/07/2010

we have a "sweeping first lady"? the govt is bloated

[samilli3]

01:06 PM on 08/07/2010

HERE COME THE ATTACKS......

http://www.ourcivilisation.com/diet/fastfood.htm

[amber15]

12:54 PM on 08/07/2010

Okay, so all those people who think she is abusing her vacation w/Sasha please note:
She's working for FREE for amercia to help our children and military!

[ladyvader]

02:27 PM on 08/07/2010

She can take all the vacation time she wants. It does not affect me at all and more power to her.

[kendellmd]

11:17 AM on 08/08/2010

you're an idiot. that waste of space took a trip to Spain costing the taxpayers over 150,000 dollars just for the flight alone. I know people who work an entire year at 40 hours plus a week for just over 30 grand.

[john649]

02:42 PM on 08/08/2010

Millions of americans voted FOR Obama and are very HAPPY with what Michele Obama is doing for our nation.
We LOVE our president and First Lady so get over it! You LOST!!

Just because you know ppl working an entire yr at 30 grand doesn't mean the rest of us are going to be dragged down to your level!

[olivia]

11:41 AM on 08/07/2010

Awesome. Thank you Mrs. Obama, on behalf of all children everywhere - and all adults wise enough to pay attention to this.

[Jamie Schler]

11:15 AM on 08/07/2010

Mrs. Obama certainly picked an excellent focus as first lady. Health, nutrition and exercise are vital to the well-being of children, adults and our country as a whole and it goes hand in hand with healthcare reform. As I always say, a healthier nation is a happier nation. This initiative, this bill has been a long time coming and who can argue with it? If these kids aren't getting a healthy, balanced diet at home then at least we should be able to assure them one during the day. And getting out into the sun to run around is the next step. Thank you, Mrs. Obama and I hope you are enjoying your well-deserved holiday!

[peskime]

10:43 AM on 08/07/2010

Hopefully this will translate into more plant derived foods NOT french fries or chocolate milk!
The junk they feed children in public schools is dreadful

[olivia]

11:43 AM on 08/07/2010

Less processed foods - regardless of plant or animal - would be good. The reheated frozen stuff they serve in schools is awful, I agree.

What happened? My husband and I remember when lunch ladies COOKED food from scratch. Even now a preschool I know of, with 250 students, cooks all the food from scratch, and it isn't more expensive than the other day cares that serve frozen, processed food.

It just takes the will to do it.

[Jdaddy1951]

10:19 AM on 08/07/2010

You know, radical right wing commentator Rush Limbaugh devoted a good deal of his broadcast time this past week to attacks on Michelle Obama for going on vacation and other reasons.

I look at Mrs. Obama's support for good legislation such as this, which will improve school lunch programs for children around the nation, and think about the fact that an overweight documented drug addict with a big mouth is attacking her and I realize ...

... Rush Limbaugh probably could have benefited from better school nutrition when he was growing up. He obviously doesn't feel good --- everyone gets cranky and sometimes a little bit crazy when they're putting unhealthy stuff in their bodies. I think Mrs. Obama's next focus should be on getting better nutrition into crazy right-wingers ... Maggie Gallagher of that homophobic anti-gay marriage group whose name I can never remember might benefit as well ...

[peskime]

10:43 AM on 08/07/2010

Mr Limbaugh's weight is no doubt attributed to poor nutrition hence his obesity

[peskime]

10:53 AM on 08/07/2010

I have become redundant, lol

[Jdaddy1951]

11:34 AM on 08/07/2010

What did I say, folks? Isn't that just what I said?

[onenvrnos]

07:49 AM on 08/07/2010

Excellent. It's about time.

[Trittydi]

02:36 AM on 08/07/2010

This is good of course, but I'd like to see some emphasis on Vitamin D3.

The United States population is chronically VD3 deficient and it is impacting children in devastating ways. VD3 deficiency has been linked definitively to Autism, Childhood Diabetes type I and other autoimmune disorders. Black children are at an even greater risk because their dark skin filters out much of the VD3 production.

Scientists know that the incidence of chronic disease increases as we move away from the equator. They know VD3 can shrink tumors and kill cancer cells.

Tack on cancers and a host of autoimmune disorders, including Diabetes type II, hypothyroidism, MS and many more, and VD3 becomes critically important in a hurry.

I won't even go into the known benefits outside of chronic disease prevention.

Disease incidence prevention chart/by blood serum levels ng/ml:
http://www.radiomartie.com/hot/disease_incidence%20prevention_by_serum_level_chart_0001-1.jpg

Why governments are selling VD3 short:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/11180df8-beaa-11de-b4ab-00144feab49a.html

Two non-profit Vitamin D3 advocacy groups:
www.grassrootshealth.net
www.vitamindcouncil.org
*

[unimatrix0]

10:45 AM on 08/07/2010

I have always had a harder time in the winter, with lack of sun light, feeling at my best mentally (sort of like never having a good night sleep). I took Vit. D this last winter and had my best winter ever, and even felt better than most summers.

[fourtruth]

01:34 AM on 08/07/2010

Good job Michelle! Love this and love the "get kids outdoors" - you are on a roll!

But watch out - those "new" Progressive "hate Obama and hate all Democrates" muckrakers will find something negative about it just because it is yours..