[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 39 (Thursday, March 2, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H2492]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              DO NOT REPEAL THE NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH ACT

  (Mr. KILDEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, in this contract hysteria, let us not lose 
sight of the things that came into being for a strong national purpose.
  The voters in November did not mandate the destruction of a program 
that has worked well for half a century.
  Repealing the National School Lunch Act, which has successfully fed 
hundreds of millions of hungry children since 1946, will affect 
children in public and parochial schools, regardless of income.
  In 1981, the Reagan administration slashed over $1 billion from the 
school nutrition programs.
  As a result, over 2,000 schools were forced to drop out of the 
program, leaving 2 million children without a nutritious school lunch. 
Under this block grant proposal, States would receive $2 billion less 
for school meals over the next 5 years.
  Due to drastically reduced funding, a State may choose not to 
subsidize meals for children who pay full price, forcing the school to 
raise prices.

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