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Obama signs Child Nutrition Bill
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Tuesday, 21 December, 2010, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Mumbai
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US President Barack Obama has signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act into law. Flanked by cabinet officials, top Democrats, and schoolchildren, Obama said that “across the country, too many kids don’t have access to healthy meals.”
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act will expand the number of children in school lunch programmes by 115,000, increase the reimbursement rate to school districts for meals by six cents, and replace the “junk” food available outside the cafeteria, such as in vending machines, with more healthful options. The $4.5 billion expansion of the school lunch programme, which feeds 16 million children, gained bipartisan support in the Senate, yet initially stalled in the House before passing mostly along party lines.
“Today is a great day for kids throughout our country as they will soon have healthier, and more nutritious food in their schools,” said US secretary of agriculture Tom Vilsack. “As we continue to focus on the twin issues of childhood obesity and hunger, we will increase access to good, quality meals in school cafeterias so the nutritional needs of our youngsters are better met. The President and First Lady have advocated strongly for passing the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, and this Bill, along with the resources and the powers provided under it, are going to allow USDA to be much more effective and aggressive in responding to obesity and hunger challenges for America’s kids.”
- The Washington Post
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