[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 54 (Friday, March 24, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H1427]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       AFFORDABLE SCHOOL LUNCHES

  (Mr. ALFORD asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ALFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the importance of 
ensuring that all students are fed in a nutritious and affordable 
manner. I am proud to have introduced H.R. 1168, the School Lunch 
Affordability Act Of 2023.
  Every year, schools are forced to raise their school lunch prices to 
comply with the Paid Lunch Equity program set by the Richard B. Russell 
National School Lunch Act. This arbitrary price increase mandated miles 
away by Congress has no impact on nutritional content and puts 
unnecessary pressure on hardworking American families and, ultimately, 
leads to more hungry students.
  This legislation would amend the regulation to return local control 
to schools. Protecting the health and nutrition of our youth is a 
critical, critical aspect of a strong educational system and it is 
completely un-American to subject our local schools to the burdensome 
Federal regulations.
  Schools should be able to make these decisions for themselves, not 
the bureaucrats in Washington. This legislation grants them this 
ability at the local level.

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