[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 39 (Thursday, March 2, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H2570]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           REPUBLICAN SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM INCREASES FUNDING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Fox] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, the school lunch program under 
the Republican majority proposal will actually increase the current 
$4.5 billion budgeted to $4.7 billion for fiscal year 1996.
  The other side of the aisle would have you believe the school lunch 
program will be eliminated. This is pure fiction.
  Republicans propose to actually increase by 4.5 percent more on 
school lunches in 1996 and 4 percent for each year thereafter for the 
next 5 years.
  They key to delivering more to our local schools is accomplished by 
eliminating the Federal bureaucrats and their involvement, and directly 
sending aid to the States for our local students. Through this block 
grant, the weight of the unnecessary Federal paperwork will be 
eliminated.
  Now, the Federal Government----
  Mr. POMEROY. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. I will when I complete my statement.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will not yield at this time.
  Mr. POMEROY. The full 5-minute statement or the sentence?
  Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Now, the Federal Government, Mr. Speaker, 
wastes 15 percent of the school nutrition money----
  Mr. POMEROY. Mr. Speaker----
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time is controlled by the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania.
  Mr. POMEROY. Mr. Speaker, point of clarification, I am not sure when 
the gentleman is going to yield to me for my question.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman controls the time, and he has 
declined to yield.
  Mr. POMEROY. Does the gentleman yield? He said he would yield.
  Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I would like to continue my 
speech.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman controls the time.
  Mr. POMEROY. The gentleman did not yield.
  Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, it wastes 15 percent----
  Mr. Speaker, do I have the floor?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Pennsylvania controls the 
time.
  Mr. POMEROY. Does the gentleman yield?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair has repeatedly stated that.
  Mr. POMEROY. He said he would yield.
  Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. I did not say that. I said I would yield at 
the end of my speech.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman controls the time and has 
refused to yield.
  Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
  Now, the Federal Government wastes 15 percent of the school nutrition 
funds for administrative costs alone, and under the majority Republican 
proposal, more children will be fed, and only the bureaucrats of 
Washington, DC, will be the ones disappointed.
  The successes of our school lunch program at Penn Dale Middle School 
in Lansdale, Montgomery County, was observed by me firsthand on Monday.
  Motivated students are involved in planning menus, dedicated faculty 
are working closely with home economics classes, and most of all, 
Dorothy Irvin, as our food service coordinator, is doing an outstanding 
job working with principal Donald Venema to make the program work.
  They have understood that what we have discussed here is more money 
for the school district, more money for the program.
  In summation, Mr. Speaker, we believe the key to the school lunch 
program and the proposal we have before the Congress now will have more 
dollars spent on direct services for children and less on the 
administrative paperwork that helps no one, and I believe, Mr. Speaker, 
it is in the best interests of everyone.


                          ____________________