[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 34 (Thursday, February 23, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H2149]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           REFORM WELFARE, BUT NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF CHILDREN

  (Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks and include 
extraneous material.)
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Members, in response to the 
last 1 minute, let me talk about what the school lunch and breakfast 
program really does. We heard, and we are in markup in the Committee on 
Education and Economic Opportunity, we heard there are not cuts. Let me 
tell you what I have from the State of Texas Department of Education 
agency, but also from Houston Independent School District. That shows 
that the Republican majority is cutting the school lunch and breakfast 
program.
  The President is right and we need to be honest with the American 
people. We need to reform welfare, but we do not need to take it out of 
the mouths of the children and their breakfast or lunch program.
  The Republican majority here in the House and the talking heads I see 
on TV say they are actually providing more funds. But in the State of 
Texas we would see a 4-percent cut in the school lunch and breakfast 
program, and that is one we grow every year. So we are cutting 4 
percent right now.
  Again, we should reform welfare, but not out of the mouths of our 
children and not out of America's future.
                         Texas Education Agency

  Proposed impact of school-based nutrition block grant amendment on 
            Texas' Child Nutrition Program Fiscal Year 1996

Projected by 1996 national funding for school-based child Nutrition 
  Programs (per USDA)....................................$6,897,000,000
Proposed funding under block grant amendment.............$6,626,000,000
                                                       ________________

    Difference*............................................$271,000,000
    Percent decreases............................................<3.9%>
Impact on Texas
  Projected FY 1996 school-based child nutrition funding...$561,000,000
  Percent decrease (3.9%)..................................<21,879,000>
                                                       ________________

    Balance available......................................$539,121,000

``The difference may be attributable to the inclusion of other programs 
(Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Summer Food Services 
Programs) in the determination of the funding levels. Information on 
these programs may be obtained from the Texas Department of Human 
Services.

Note: The balance available for FY 1996 is approximately equal to the 
amount we estimate to disburse in FY 1995. The result, in effect, is to 
allow for no growth from FY 1995 to FY 1996. In Texas the reimbursement 
for these programs have increased approximately 8 percent per year for 
the past five years. The proposed increases in the amendment of 
approximately 4.6 percent per year would not allow for the current 
level of growth in these programs.

  Proposed impact of school-based nutrition block grant amendment on 
      Houston ISD (HISD) Child Nutrition Program Fiscal Year 1996

Impact on Houston ISD:
  Projected fiscal year 1996 School-based child nutrition fu$43,000,000
  Proposed decrease (3.9%)..................................<1,677,000>
                                                       ________________

    Balanced available......................................$41,323,000

Note: The balance available for FY 1996 is approximately equal to the 
amount estimated for FY 1995. The result, in effect is to allow for no 
growth in FY 1996. In the Houston ISD reimbursements for these programs 
have increased approximately 3 percent per year over the past five 
years. The proposed increases in the amendment are approximately 4.6 
percent per year and would allow for the current level of growth in 
these programs.

Impact of the proposed school-based nutrition block grant amendment on 
                 Houston ISD (HISD) 1995-96 school year

Child nutrition funding:                                       Millions
  Current Projected funding (using 3% growth)......................4.27
  Funding based on proposal (1.7% assuming an equal distribution of the 
    states reduction in growth)....................................42.2
                                                               ________

      Projected loss in Child Nutrition funding.......................5
                                                               ========

State foundation program funding:
  Current Projected funding.......................................215.9
  Funding based on proposal.......................................214.0
                                                               ________

      Projected loss in Foundation Program funding..................1.9
                                                               ========

      Total projected loss for 1995-96..............................2.4

Note: Assuming the state's required increase is 8% (based on the past 5 
year history), an amendment to allow only 4.6% would require a 47% 
reduction in the projected growth to all state programs including the 
Houston Independent School District (HISD). The projected increase in 
students qualifying for free and reduced priced meals of 6,528 would 
have to be limited to 3,721 students. Limiting the number of qualifying 
students effects the allocation for the Child Nutrition program as well 
as the State Foundation Program funding for HISD shown above.


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