[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 135 (Friday, August 11, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12367-S12368]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  THE DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR AMERICANS

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, last year Congress reauthorized and 
improved several important nutrition programs under the National School 
Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act. The legislation strengthened 
access to good nutrition for some of our Nation's most vulnerable 
children. I was pleased to be a cosponsor of the bill.
  As part of that legislation, Congress directed the Department of 
Agriculture to bring schools into compliance with specified ``dietary 
guidelines'' by the 1996-97 school year rather than the 1998-99 school 
year, as originally stipulated by USDA. These guidelines establish a 
30-percent limit on daily dietary fat, and a 10-percent limit on 
saturated fat. 

[[Page S 12368]]

  Compliance with the dietary guidelines will have a real impact on the 
health of children who participate in the school meals program. It 
should be aggressively pursued. At the same time, however, I appreciate 
the effort it takes to implement such an extensive rule as well as the 
importance of providing schools sufficient time to comply with it. I 
realize that not all schools may be able to comply with the dietary 
guidelines by 1996.
  In an effort to make the 1996-97 school year date achievable for 
compliance, Public Law 103-448 provides that schools may elect to use a 
food-based system of menu planning and preparation. It also offers an 
exemption from the requirement. Schools that encounter difficulty with 
the 1996 compliance date will be able to apply for a waiver from their 
own State departments of education. If compliance is truly problematic, 
the State may grant a 2-year extension.
  Our objective is not to force compliance at any cost. Rather, it is 
to encourage aggressiveness on this initiative and make clear that 
Congress is serious about delivering healthy meals to our youth. 
Schools that have the ability to implement the dietary guidelines 
before 1998 should do so.
  One organization that has been particularly closely involved in the 
development of these regulations is the American School Food Service 
Association [ASFSA]. ASFSA members are on the front lines of the effort 
to provide nutritious meals to school children.
  On July 19, 1995, the ASFSA executive board passed a resolution that 
emphasizes the organization's commitment to encouraging and assisting 
schools in the implementation of the dietary guidelines and that 
underscores ASFSA's view of the importance of USDA providing maximum 
flexibility for local food authorities in meeting the guidelines. I 
commend ASFSA's commitment to promoting timely implementation of the 
dietary guidelines and support their call for flexibility, as long as 
that flexibility serves the objectives outlined above.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the ASFSA executive board 
resolution be printed in the Record at this point.
  There being no objection, the resolution was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

       Whereas: the Dietary Guidelines for Americans represent a 
     consensus of scientific thought on dietary advice for the 
     general population, including children;
       Whereas: diet has been identified as a risk factor for five 
     of the ten leading causes of death in Americans, including 
     coronary heart disease and some types of cancer;
       Whereas: Healthy People 2000 established the implementation 
     of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans in at least ninety 
     percent (90%) of the schools by the year 2000 as a national 
     goal;
       Whereas: the American School For Food Service Association 
     has supported the Dietary Guidelines for Americans since 
     their inception in 1980;
       Whereas: the Healthy Meals for Healthy Americans Act (P.L. 
     103-448) requires schools participating in the National 
     School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program to 
     implement the Dietary Guidelines for Americans; and
       Whereas: the Congress of the United States is considering 
     legislation that would reduce the amount of federal financial 
     support provided to school nutrition programs: Therefore be 
     it
       Resolved: That ASFSA shall make its best effort to 
     encourage and assist schools to implement the Dietary 
     Guidelines for Americans; and be it finally
       Resolved: That the ASFSA shall seek from the U.S. 
     Department of Agriculture the maximum flexibility on how 
     local food authorities may achieve the Dietary Guidelines for 
     Americans so as to minimize any cost impact associated with 
     the implementation of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
     

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