[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 55 (Friday, March 24, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4559-S4562]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS

  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I rise today to talk about my deep 
concern over the House proposal on the child nutrition program and 
stand before you today to speak about the questions that I have asked 
and the answers I have looked to to find out whether this is the right 
road for this body to go down.
  [[Page S4560]] I want to relate some of that to you today. The 
National School Lunch Program, as we all know, began in 1946 in 
response to concerns that our national security was jeopardized because 
many of our incoming military personnel suffered from nutrition-related 
illness.
  The Federal Government made a decision that it is in the national 
security interest of this country to feed and nourish our youth to 
ensure a strong population and a strong nation.
  If we take the time to review this program's record, we will clearly 
find that it has been successful in boosting health and achievement 
among our children.
  This program touches every family in America. Its elimination will 
shake the very foundation of the family: health, nutrition, education, 
and opportunity.
  Here is why: Every single school day, more than 25 million children 
in 93,000 schools across America eat a lunch provided through the 
National School Lunch Program. More than half of these children receive 
the meal free or at a reduced price.
  I doubt my colleagues know what it is like to sit in a classroom as a 
small child and try to concentrate on learning when you have not had a 
meal for several hours.
  I doubt that many know what it is like to teach these children.
  As a mother and a pre-school teacher, I can assure you that for 
hungry children, learning is not a priority. It cannot be. Often, the 
meals they get at school are their only meals for the day.
  Often, these lunches are the only nutritious meal they get. I can 
tell you from first-hand experience that food makes a child--any 
child--happy and healthy and willing to learn.
  Teachers are overburdened as it is. The last thing we need to do is 
to put more hungry children in our classrooms and then ask our teachers 
to teach them.
  The Women, Infants, and Children Program [WIC], another nutrition 
program targeted for block granting, is one of the most successful 
forms of health care cost containment that we
 have today. It has an outstanding record of reducing the incidence of 
low-birth-weight babies born to poor women, and saving lives.

  This program serves nearly 7 million mothers and children each month 
at a cost of less than $1.50 a day for each participating child. The 
Medicaid savings this program produces outweigh the costs by a 3 to 1 
ratio.
  It is a model program which should not be lost in the welfare reform 
debate but rather one we can and should learn from.
  I think it is important to point out that these programs have 
rightfully enjoyed bipartisan support in this body. The Senate has 
affirmed the issue of nutrition as one of health for our children.
  It is one of economics too. This Nation will pay so much more later 
if growing children do not get the nutrition they need now and if women 
do not get the parental care they need now.
  Let me touch on a few other aspects of this legislation. One of the 
reasons these nutrition programs have been so successful is because of 
national nutrition standards. Where do you think the campaign for the 
five basic food groups came from?
  The House proposal would eliminate these and ask each State to set 
their own. So, instead of one proven, workable national program, we 
will have 50 individual bureaucracies experimenting on our children.
  But that is not all. If we look further into the legislation, we 
realize that despite what the House would have us believe, their 
proposal will cut nutrition funds to many States.
  The claim that the school lunch program will see a 4.5-percent 
increase cannot be found in this legislation. What you can say is that 
the school nutrition block grant would provide 2.5-percent more funding 
in fiscal year 1996 than schools will receive in fiscal year 1995. 
However, this does not take into account food price inflation or 
increases in participation.
  Under current law, these programs would see a 5-percent increase in 
order to keep pace with food costs and participation. Because block 
grants do not take these into account, the bill will actually provide 
$170 million less in fiscal year 1996 than would be provided under 
current law.
  By fiscal year 2000, the block grant would provide $760 million less 
than the levels needed to keep pace with inflation and participation. 
Over a 5-year period, the block grant would provide $2.3 billion less 
than current law.
 These are not block grants; they are block cuts.

  The House proposal shifts these funds to discretionary spending. Once 
this happens, 1996 is the only year funds can be guaranteed. Afterward, 
State nutrition programs would be subject to arbitrary spending caps, 
across-the-board cuts, and other money savings gimmicks without regard 
to the impact on children.
  The House proposal does not take into account the possibility of a 
recession. Nor does it compensate for any increases in population or 
poverty.
  It puts our States in a position of setting nutrition standards they 
may not be able to afford. It caps administrative costs which will 
limit each State's ability to establish the new State regulations.
  What does this mean? When States run out of funds--and believe me, 
they will--The children will not eat. The end result will be 
devastating to our children, our schools, our families, our 
communities, and our economies.
  I have talked with many people since the introduction of this 
proposal. I know that my State of Washington will lose under the 
current block grant formula.
  I know that hard working parents who need WIC or school lunches are 
afraid of what the future holds for their children. I know that 
children are worried about their families.
  I understand and share their fears and I urge all of my colleagues to 
get out and talk with those people who participate in these programs.
  Talk to parents, to teachers, and to children so that when the Senate 
takes up this issue you have a clear and deep understanding of just 
what you will be doing if you support this effort.
  Mr. President, one last issue I want to touch on in regard to this 
whole block grant effort is the issue of welfare and how it has become 
associated with abuse and irresponsibility.
  I share the view that the programs I just discussed are investments 
in our future.
  The overwhelming majority of those people involved are using these 
programs as a last resort and not because they choose to. They are 
necessary for survival.
  Mr. President, I have several letters from families in the Washington 
WIC programs which I ask unanimous consent to print in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

       I am very grealfut for the WIC Program, and to the nurses I 
     have meet. I have learned alot about nutristion.
       If I was not recieving WIC, Moniqua my two year old would 
     not have enough milk.
       I have felt very support by the ladies that wort there.
       There are a lot of ladies that come to the WIC office to 
     learn how to take good care of their new babies. Without the 
     WIC a lot of babies would go hungrey. They givee formula, 
     baby food and sopport you if the mother would like to Breast 
     feed their Baby. These nurses help to keep a lot of Babies 
     healthy.
       In school my older girl would not beable eat, because not 
     all the time, I have enough food to send with her for lunch, 
     she able to eat and worry about how hungrey she is. she can 
     concentrate on her school work.
       I know what it is like to go to school and be hungrey and 
     not beable to think very clear.
     Katheran Northrop.
                                                                    ____

       The WIC program has really helped supply my family with the 
     nutritious foods we need. It has supplemented the food stamps 
     we receive I always feel that the staff here at WIC is very 
     dedicated to the welfare of our children.
     Susan Bess.
                                                                    ____

       Dear Senator Murry: I'm hoping that they don't cut the WIC 
     program because it has really helped me the past 3\1/2\ 
     years. Baby milk is really expensive and when you are on a 
     fixed income and only recieve a certain amount of Food stamps 
     it becomes a problem with finance. The WIC program helps us 
     women and children afford milk for their children and even 
     help us afford some things we need but if there wasn't the 
     program we would have alot of under nurished babies. So you 
     see Sen. Murry we really need the WIC program. * * *
                                                      Julie Allen.
       [[Page S4561]] Dear Senator Murry: I just want to say that 
     the WIC program has helped me so much and many others that I 
     know. Without the WIC program I don't think I could of made 
     it threw. Formula is very expensive. It would cost about 
     150.00 dollars more a month if I had to buy it myself then I 
     would probably have to seek other assistance.
     Sarah Zottman.
                                                                    ____

       Dear Senator Murray: I would like to encourage you to Keep 
     funding WIC. It is a fantastic program. This is my second 
     Child to have on WIC my first was five years ago, She is a 
     healthy beautiful little girl. I am expected another baby in 
     April and thanks to WIC I know this baby will have the 
     Formula She or he will need to grow strong and healthy. WIC 
     is wonderful. WIC is a program that really benifits the 
     Children.
           Sincerely,
      Diane Aston.
                                                                    ____

       Dear Senator Murray: Please continue to support the WIC 
     Program. I'm glad I've join this program because I have learn 
     a lot for my pregnancy this time. Also, the WIC Program help 
     my family a lot for all. Such as financially & family 
     support, etc.
       Thank you for your attention.
           Sincerely,
     Fondy Lee.
                                                                    ____

       Being a mother of three small children ranging from 7 years 
     of age to 3 months, I am currently enrolled in a local WIC 
     Program. I must take this opportunity to tell you how happy 
     and grateful I am to be provided this opportunity.
       I started receiving WIC September of 1994 when my husband 
     of 3\1/2\ years walked out on me and my children. I was five 
     months pregnant at the time and worrying about the stress 
     involved in caring for my family.
       The WIC Program was a life saver. Not only was I able to 
     take care of myself during my pregnancy but it helped to 
     provide for my other children. I learned more about pregnancy 
     and infant care than I knew the two previous pregnancies. I 
     am currently breastfeeding my three month old, and providing 
     overall better nutrition to myself and my children.
       None of these things would have been possible without WIC.
       Please do not cut WIC funding.
           Sincerely,
     Janet L. Pettie.
                                                                    ____

       Dear Senator Gorton: I'm writing to inform you of the 
     importance for a WIC Program. Me and my family used WIC for 
     approximately one year and if it hadn't been for the program 
     we wouldn't have made it. WIC enabled me and my family to get 
     on our feet, thus giving us the ability to give back. So 
     please don't cut this program because it would be creating a 
     problem rather than solving one.
           Sincerely,
     Eddie Carter and Family.
                                                                    ____

       Dear Senator Murray: The WIC Program has made a huge 
     difference in the life of all four of my children. My last 
     two pregnancy were monitored by WIC. The nutrition conceling 
     nurse care and social work were invaluable. My daughter age 4 
     and son age 2 have been on WIC since before they were born. 
     Having WIC has ment they would always have formula or milk. 
     They probably would not have had milk everyday if it wasn't 
     for WIC. I am a working mom and make just a little too much 
     to stay on foodstamps. So WIC has bridged a big gap in our 
     food budget.
       Thank you for all the help in the past.
       And please don't take it away from the children who really 
     need it.
                                                                    ____

       My family uses WIC and w/out their help I don't know what I 
     would have done. My son used a special formula that was very 
     expensive and I couldn't afford it on my own. Also, being a 
     first time parent, they informed me about all the right foods 
     to feed my child and at what age he should start these foods. 
     They have helped me out in so many ways.
           Sincerely,
     Martina Sambrano.
                                                                    ____

       Dear Senator Murray: Please do not vote to cut the WIC 
     Program. Without it I would not be able to give my kids milk 
     once a day and probably not once a week. We are a struggling 
     family of 7 with a small business. We hope to not need help 
     soon but there are a lot of people still out there who 
     wouldn't survive without this program.
       Thank you for your time.
     Mischel V. Sullivan.
                                                                    ____

       Senator Patty Murray: My infant daughter and I have greatly 
     enjoyed the WIC program. The services are excellent. The 
     staff are profesional and the classes and information are 
     valuable.
       Now that I am home with my daughter, (she is our first 
     child), motherhood is a completely new and different world. 
     The WIC program has helped me learn a lot about nutrition. 
     Our daughter is very physically small and the formula 
     provided has greatly helped her growth. In addition, the 
     nutrition program has benefited our entire family.
       Please do not reduce the WIC funds. The infants & children 
     we raise today will be our furture leaders, such as yourself. 
     (We need as many positive factors towards their development.)
       Thank you.
     Mary Jane Brogan.
                                                                    ____

       I am writing to you regarding the WIC program. I was 
     informed today that for some reason you are trying to erase 
     WIC from Seattle. Obviously you do not know the importance of 
     WIC to thousands of pregnant women & their children. Women 
     must eat, receive proper medical care, good social care, & 
     correct knowledge & advise to bring healthy babies (like you 
     once were yourself) into this world. Mothers will do almost 
     anything to protect & provide for their babies including 
     theft & illegal ways of making money. With WIC, these women 
     do not have to submit themselves to the ugly ways of life, 
     but instead feel that they have a whole building of friends 
     they can always come to. Nobody wants to rely on anyone else, 
     but in these days & ages, life is so vastly unfair, that 
     sometimes your low days do outnumber your high days. So, 
     until then, when everyone in this world is totally self-
     sufficient, programs like WIC are needed & worth every penny 
     the government puts towards it.
     Sondra Erskine.
                                                                    ____

       WIC help me to get in Heath for kind good for my children 
     on WIC we learn a lot of how to feed my children to eat good 
     food for health.
     Saeleuon, Koi Fong.
                                                                    ____

       WIC has been very helpful to me as a single mother--to be 
     sure that I have the basics. Milk, peanut butter is a real 
     comfort. I don't know what I would do without the support of 
     this office, the vouchers and the support in general. WIC is 
     a great program.
       P.S. I'm not on food stamps but I think that program should 
     be more like WIC where there are specific foods allowed--
     people will be healthier, better educated and tax payers less 
     resentful.
     Jennifer Meltzer.
                                                                    ____

       Please don't cut WIC. It means a lot to our family. It 
     helps a lot with the children. We need WIC to help like 
     families like ours. In times of need.
       Thanks,
     Barbara Wilkens.
                                                                    ____

       The WIC program is extremely good, the program help my 
     child so much as he was growing. They had choices of milk for 
     him. A lot of it is very expensive and with my income God 
     knows how I would have purchase what he needed. They (WIC) 
     were very helpful in the right foods he needed and just very 
     helpful in all my questions. I highly recommend WIC for any 
     mother and wish the program would stay around for many years 
     to come.
     Phyllis Sanders.
                                                                    ____

       I support continued funding of the Women, Infants and 
     Children (WIC) program. I do not believe we should make any 
     cuts to the funding of this program. This program is 
     extremely vital to the well being of many of our country's 
     young children. We need to continue to ensure the well being 
     of these children by continuing all funding to programs, such 
     as WIC, that help children begin life with a healthy start.
                                                    Donna M. Fine.

  Mrs. MURRAY: Let me quote a few:

       I am writing to you regarding the WIC program. I was 
     informed today that for some reason you are trying to erase 
     WIC from Seattle. Obviously, you do not know the importance 
     of WIC to thousands of pregnant women and their children. 
     Women must eat, receive proper medical care, good social 
     care, and correct knowledge and advice to bring healthy 
     babies (like you once were yourself) into this world. Mothers 
     will do almost anything to protect and provide for their 
     babies. Including theft and illegal ways of making money.

  She goes on to say that:

       Nobody wants to rely on anyone else, but in these days and 
     ages, life is so vastly unfair, that sometimes your low days 
     outnumber your high days. So until then, when everyone in 
     this world is totally self-sufficient, programs like WIC are 
     needed and worth every penny the government puts towards it.

  Another letter writer talks about how important WIC has been to her 
children and ends by saying that:

       Having WIC has meant my children would always have formula 
     or milk. They probably wouldn't have had milk everyday if it 
     weren't for WIC. I am a working mom and make just a little 
     too much to stay on food stamps so WIC has bridged a big gap 
     in our food budget. Please don't take it away from the 
     children. They need it.

  Another letter:

       We are a struggling family of 7 with a small business. We 
     hope to not need help soon but there are a lot of people 
     still out there who wouldn't survive without this program.
       I think you will find that these are caring, responsible, 
     hard-working individuals who have benefited tremendously from 
     this program. It has been the safety net they need.

  Finally, I want to share a few quotes from some letters children 
wrote:

       ``If we don't get our lunch we would starve. Don't do this 
     to us. You are breaking our hearts.''
       [[Page S4562]] ``Instead of taking something that we do not 
     need you are taking something that we do need. I am one of 
     those children that needs those programs.''
       ``We need school lunches because we do not have lunch at 
     home. I do not like you for taking this away.''

  I could go on and on but will not as time will not allow it.
  I will, however, submit these for the record so that others can read 
them. I wanted to make the point that these are caring, responsible, 
hard-working individuals who have benefited tremendously from these 
programs.
  These are children who know the only full meal they or many of their 
friends get is at school. It has been the safety net they need. These 
letters make that point so much better than I can.
  In closing, I want to say that I do not argue that our welfare system 
is in need of some change. What I do not like is the assumption that 
every person utilizing these programs is out to take the Government and 
the taxpayers.
  Like so many other issues, the House has gone too far on child 
nutrition.
  Welfare reform merits in-depth, serious consideration and I am 
anxious to begin that process. I think a little common sense will go a 
long way on this issue.
  However, in the case of child nutrition programs, I am appalled that 
such little time or consideration was taken before this bill was 
reported out of committee. We cannot afford to follow the House lead 
and expect responsible, effective legislation to result.
  This legislation affects a group of Americans who are completely 
unable to come to Congress and speak out. I strongly urge my colleagues 
to oppose the wholesale slashing of child nutrition when the issue 
comes to the Senate.
  I yield the floor.
  

                          ____________________