The House will not vote on the child nutrition bill before the November elections due to disagreement over the price of the bill and how it will be paid, according to the Associated Press.
The bill, "which would improve lunches in schools and expand feeding programs for low-income students, has been a priority for Democrats and hunger groups for years. But the groups and many members of the House switched sides when leaders proposed a vote on a Senate-passed version of the legislation that uses future funding for food stamp programs to pay for a part of the $4.5 billion cost." Republicans also opposed the bill, "saying it was too expensive."
Many of the child nutrition programs are set to expire, but "an extension of those programs was included in a stopgap bill that will keep the government operating for the next two months, and supporters will try again to pass the nutrition bill when Congress returns to Washington after the elections."
"Creation of new standards, which public health advocates have sought for a decade, has unprecedented support from many of the nation's largest food and beverage companies. The two sides came together on the issue as public pressure to remove junk foods from schools increased."
Supporters hope that the bill will pass after the November elections.
To read the Associated Press story, click here.
Posted: 09/30/2010
