On October 28, the House approved, by voice vote, a bill (H.R. 3232) to reauthorize a number of federal child nutrition programs that are due to expire later this year.
Sponsored by Rep. Michael Castle (R-DE), H.R. 3232 would extend authorization for the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the After School Snack Program, the Summer Food Service Program, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program through March 31, 2004. The bill would allow eligible children of armed services members living in privatized military housing to continue to receive free or reduced-price meals at school. The measure also would allow for-profit child care centers to participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and allow schools, churches, and community organizations to operate Summer Food Service Program sites. Finally, H.R. 3232 would continue providing funds to states to replace dangerous commodities, such as tainted meat.
Noting that the child nutrition programs that would be reauthorized under the bill “benefit America’s most vulnerable children,” Rep. Castle argued, “It is our duty as lawmakers to ensure that these at-risk children and their families can continue to receive the benefits for which they have been deemed eligible until the Congress can complete its work on legislation reauthorizing both the Child Nutrition Act and the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.”
Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) agreed and stated, “Healthy children are the best investment we can make in this nation’s future.” She went on to add: “I do hope, however, that when the time comes for the real reauthorization of child nutrition [programs], we can work together in this same bipartisan way to make sure every eligible infant and child in this nation has access to nutritious food.”
