[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16456]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          NANNY STATE LUNCHES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Poe) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the Federal food police are whipping 
up their latest batch of distasteful government regulations. With a 
government fist around an iron spatula, the Federal Government has 
become the new Mr. Bumble from the book ``Oliver Twist.''
  The food police have placed unhealthy and illogical regulations on 
menus for government school lunches across the fruited plain. This is 
just more unneeded, unnecessary, and unwarranted Federal Government 
invasion of what school kids eat. The Federal Government now is trying 
to raise America's children.
  In an effort to control, dictate, and give children a nanny state 
society, school lunches have gotten watered down to a skimpy new low. 
After strict portion control and outlandish so-called nutrition 
standards, school lunches have become as exciting as detention. The 
food is unappealing and lacking in nutrition.
  So what have students done? They have taken their frustrations to 
Twitter, taking photos of government-dictated school lunches. An 
Oklahoma school student tweeted a picture of a few chicken nuggets, a 
half an apple, and a piece of bread, complaining, ``Thanks for the 
fulfilling lunch.'' More and more students are catching on, saying 
sarcastically, ``I will be full for days,'' and ``Thanks for the 
delicious lunch, sure was filling.''
  A parent eating lunch with their child at school was stunned after 
seeing the lunch portions. And here she took a photograph of the lunch. 
Here it is. And she said correctly, ``This is sad.'' Here you have a 
little condiment package. Here you have a bun with a something in 
between, and then you have a half a fruit over on the other side. Isn't 
this a lovely lunch? If a parent had anything to do with this, the 
Federal Government would probably accuse them of child neglect.
  There is a 350-calorie limit in place for entrees. So that means 
taking two packets of ketchup or mayonnaise would put the student over 
the allowed limit. Kids find themselves in an ``Oliver Twist'' 
situation with the workhouse headmaster, Mr. Bumble, and having to 
fearfully ask, ``More please, sir?'' And of course just like in the 
book, the answer is a loud ``No.''
  Kids need the energy to learn, to pay attention, and to focus. That 
energy comes from food. The cafeteria takeover by the Federal 
Government is leaving students--believe it or not--hungry.
  How can we expect children operating on a lunch of no more than 350 
calories to make it through the day? What about athletes and 
afterschool programs? Whether the student plays football or plays an 
instrument in the marching band, a dinky lunch just won't cut it.
  Meghan Hellrood, a student at D.C. Everest High School in Wisconsin, 
is protesting the required ``healthy'' lunches by promising other 
students unlimited condiments that she herself will bring to school. 
Now, I wonder if the Federal Government will charge her with smuggling 
the forbidden condiments. Who knows?
  Students all over the United States have started to speak out. 
Pictures of a lunch with two pieces of cauliflower, some ham, and a 
piece of cheese have surfaced, or three cherry tomatoes, skim milk, and 
some cheesy bread. This sounds more like the tasteless gruel Oliver 
Twist was served in the book ``Oliver Twist.''
  Kids who buy their lunch but opt out of the side of fruits or 
vegetables are still charged for the whole meal, resulting in wasted 
food. There has been an 84 percent increase in wasted school lunches 
that are just thrown in the trash.
  These regulations just aren't working. So what is next? Is the 
government going to force-feed kids who don't eat the government food 
lunches? The level of Federal Government intrusion is foolish, and it 
seems to be arrogant.
  The time is now to protect schools from Mr. Bumble bureaucrats. 
Interestingly enough, some of the bureaucrats in Washington making the 
rules for government schools send their kids to private schools, which 
are not under the same absurd food regulations.
  Mere calorie counting is not a viable healthy option. More physical 
activities in schools may be needed. In any event, it is the duty and 
responsibility of parents and local schools to decide what their kids 
eat in school, not the nanny, Mr. Bumble, and the bureaucrats in 
Washington.
  Parents should raise their kids, not the Federal Government. Federal 
food police don't belong in a local school cafeteria.
  And that is just the way it is.

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