[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 198 (Thursday, October 13, 2016)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 70911-70912]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-24994]


 
 
                         Presidential Documents 
 
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 81 , No. 198 / Thursday, October 13, 2016 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 70911]]


                Proclamation 9518 of October 7, 2016

                
National School Lunch Week, 2016

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Seventy years ago, President Harry Truman signed the 
                National School Lunch Act, declaring ``Nothing is more 
                important in our national life than the welfare of our 
                children, and proper nourishment comes first in 
                attaining this welfare.'' This Act created the National 
                School Lunch Program and provided lunch to 7 million 
                children in its first year--today, more than 30 million 
                children depend on it each day. As we observe the 70th 
                anniversary of this program, we recommit to ensuring 
                access to proper nutrition throughout the school day 
                for all our young people so that they may pursue their 
                education and chase their dreams.

                Since the beginning of my Administration, I have worked 
                to build on the legacy of the National School Lunch 
                Program. In 2010, the Congress passed and I signed into 
                law the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which increased 
                the number of students who could get subsidized or free 
                school meals and improved the quality of school meals. 
                For children from low-income households, meals provided 
                by the National School Lunch Program and the School 
                Breakfast Program may be their only reliable source of 
                nutrition throughout the day. We are working to 
                increase access for more children, including by using 
                Medicaid data to automatically connect eligible 
                students in need to free or reduced-priced meals.

                During the school year, nearly 22 million children 
                receive free and reduced-price school meals. When 
                school is out for the summer, well over 2 million 
                children rely on the Summer Food Service Program for 
                nourishment. However, too many kids still lack access 
                to adequate nutrition during the summer months, which 
                is why I proposed investing $12 billion in my latest 
                budget to provide supplemental summer food benefits to 
                children who receive free and subsidized school meals 
                during the academic year.

                We must also work to give children greater access to 
                nutritious foods and empower them to make healthy 
                choices. Too many young people are obese or overweight 
                and remain at risk for health problems like diabetes or 
                heart disease later in life. First Lady Michelle Obama 
                has championed efforts to build healthy futures for all 
                children, particularly through the Let's Move! 
                initiative, which has worked to provide healthier meals 
                in our schools and ensure every family has access to 
                healthy, affordable food. The Department of Agriculture 
                updated school nutrition standards to make sure all 
                school meals and snacks meet science-based nutrition 
                criteria, and almost all schools participating in the 
                National School Lunch Program are meeting these 
                standards.

                In order for our children to join the most prepared and 
                educated workforce in the world, we must remember the 
                connection between what our kids eat and how well they 
                perform in school. During National School Lunch Week, 
                let us reaffirm our dedication to helping America's 
                daughters and sons succeed by guaranteeing they have 
                access to the healthy meals they need. Let us express 
                our gratitude for the school nutrition professionals, 
                educators, and administrators who are helping deliver 
                the promise of a bright future to schoolchildren across 
                America each day.

[[Page 70912]]

                The Congress, by joint resolution of October 9, 1962 
                (Public Law 87-780), as amended, has designated the 
                week beginning on the second Sunday in October each 
                year as ``National School Lunch Week'' and has 
                requested the President to issue a proclamation in 
                observance of this week.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, do hereby proclaim October 9 
                through October 15, 2016, as National School Lunch 
                Week. I call upon all Americans to join the dedicated 
                individuals who administer the National School Lunch 
                Program in appropriate activities that support the 
                health and well-being of our Nation's children.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and forty-first.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2016-24994
Filed 10-12-16; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F7-P