Pelosi Statement on House Passage of Sweeping Child Nutrition Legislation

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today after the House voted 264 to 157 to pass the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, bipartisan legislation to improve the quality of meals students eat at school, increase the number of healthy meals available to needy children, and provide the first real increase in the federal reimbursement rate for school lunches in more than 30 years.  The Senate passed this bill in August, and it now goes to President Obama for his signature into law:

"Today, the House took action to tackle the twin challenges of childhood hunger and childhood obesity.  Addressing childhood nutrition is a moral issue.  It's about our future, our health, and our well-being as a nation.  But it is also a matter of our competitiveness and our national security.

"Our future prosperity depends on having a highly-educated, skilled workforce that is ready to compete and get the job done.  Yet far too many children in our country are held back by hunger from reaching their full potential.  The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act is a critical step forward in correcting this injustice and giving all of our youth a healthy choice and a fair shot at a better future.  And this landmark legislation brings some common sense back to our school cafeterias and snack machines – and empowers parents to fight the growing epidemic of childhood obesity.

"I applaud my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who voted for this legislation, and I thank the First Lady, Michelle Obama, for shining a bright light on the need to get our students moving and make America's children healthier."

SOURCE Office of the Speaker of the House

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