[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 146 (Friday, October 17, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2069-E2070]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH WEEK

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                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 16, 2003

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to announce the 57th 
year of the National School Lunch Program, which is dedicated to the 
health and well being of our Nation's children. National School Lunch 
Week commenced on October 13 and will run until October 17th. The 
National School Lunch Program has been joined through the years by 
several excellent child-feeding programs, such as: School Breakfast, 
Food Stamp, Child and Adult Care, Emergency Food Assistance and Summer 
Nutrition Programs, among others, and there is definitely a need to 
continue these programs in order to inspire nutrition education and 
awareness in our children.
  President Harry S. Truman signed the National School Lunch Act on 
June 4, 1946, which authorized the National School Lunch Program, which 
is the oldest and largest of child nutrition programs. The legislation 
came in response to claims that many American men had been rejected for 
World War II military service because of diet-related health problems. 
The Federally assisted meal program was established as ``a measure of 
national security, to safeguard the health and well-being of the 
Nation's children and to encourage the domestic consumption of 
nutritious agricultural commodities.'' To continue the spirit of the 
program, in 1998, Congress expanded the National School Lunch Program 
to include reimbursement for snacks served to children in after school 
educational and enrichment programs for children through the age of 18.
  In this day and age, we are even more focused on providing 
nutritious, well-balanced, low-cost or free meals for our young boys 
and girls. The Program contributes to the development of healthy eating 
habits by providing the children with no more than 30 percent calories 
from fat, and less than 10 percent from saturated fat. All children can 
take advantage of this program, but if the child comes from a family 
with an income at or below 130 percent of the poverty level, that child 
is eligible for free meals. With about 57 percent of children

[[Page E2070]]

receiving free or reduced price lunches, the National School Lunch 
Program often times provides the most nutritious meal or the only meal 
that some children receive in a day.
  We celebrate another year of this Program because it has helped 
combat the growing hunger and poverty levels among children in our 
country. According to the Food Research and Action Center, National 
School Lunch Program has grown from about 7.1 million children 
participating in 1947 to over 27.2 million in the 2001-2002 school 
year. The program operates in more than 99,800 public and non-profit 
private schools and residential childcare institutions, with over 187 
billion lunches having been served.
  National School Lunch Program is just one step in developing our 
children into the prosperous, successful individuals we want them to 
become. The Program's Team Nutrition Initiative focuses on teaching and 
motivating children to make food choices that enhance their energy, 
growth, and potential. In addition, the Program is vitally important to 
achieving our educational goals. Poorly fed children have more 
difficulty learning, are less attentive in class, and suffer more 
chronic problems, such as absenteeism and tardiness, than children who 
are properly nourished. By making nutritious meals available to all 
school children, the National School Lunch Program will help us ensure 
that we leave no child behind. According to the Food Research and 
Action Center, proper nutrition improves a child's behavior, school 
performance, and overall cognitive development. All in all, properly 
nourished children more actively participate in the education 
experience, which benefits them, their fellow students, and the entire 
school community. Studies have shown what we already have known--that 
healthy school meals play a critical and positive role in students' 
development and learning process. Unfortunately, we have a double-sided 
battle to fight, with regards to mal-nourishment and obesity. A peer-
reviewed study conducted by academic researchers at the University of 
North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and the University of Tennessee, 
Knoxville, found that girls in food insecure households had a 
significantly lower risk of being overweight if they participated in 
the National School Lunch Program. The findings suggest that 
participation in these Federal child nutrition programs can combat our 
growing problems with obesity in children.
  According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in 2000, 10.5 
percent of all U.S. households, representing 20 million adults and 13 
million children, were ``food insecure'' because of lack of resources. 
In 2001, Illinois reported 9.2 percent of households are food insecure, 
which represents 3,239,229 children under the age of 18. Thanks to the 
National School Lunch Program, there are over 4,446 schools 
participating in Illinois, with over 1,083,548 students that benefits 
from it. Specifically in Chicago Public Schools, over 350,000 students 
are registered in the Program.
  If President Truman found this to be important to our national 
security in 1946, we should continue his vision in 2003 by continuing 
to support National School Lunches. As the Committee on Education and 
the Workforce, of which I serve, continues to examine this program 
during its reauthorization, I will continue to ensure that good 
nutrition is promoted among our children, thus helping them to become 
healthier, positive, citizens within our country.

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