King Introduces "No Hungry Kids Act"

Friday, September 14, 2012

Washington, DC- Congressman Steve King (R-IA) released the following statement today after introducing the "No Hungry Kids Act" with original co-sponsor Congressman Tim Huelskamp (R-KS). The bill was introduced in response to recently released school lunch standards from United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) that have left children around the nation hungry during their school day due to extreme calorie rationing. The "No Hungry Kids Act" repeals the USDA rule that created the new standards, prohibits the USDA's upper caloric limits, and will protect rights of parents to send their children to school with the foods of their choice.

"For the first time in history, the USDA has set a calorie limit on school lunches," said King. "The goal of the school lunch program was- and is- to ensure students receive enough nutrition to be healthy and to learn. The misguided nanny state, as advanced by Michelle Obama's "Healthy and Hunger Free Kids Act," was interpreted by Secretary Vilsack to be a directive that, because some kids are overweight, he would put every child on a diet. Parents know that their kids deserve all of the healthy and nutritious food they want."

To read Congressman King's Op-ed on the new USDA School Lunch regulations, click here.

"The goal of the school lunch program is supposed to be feeding children, not filling the trash cans with uneaten food," said Huelskamp. "The USDA's new school lunch guidelines are a perfect example of what is wrong with government: misguided inputs, tremendous waste, and unaccomplished goals. Thanks to the Nutrition Nannies at the USDA, America's children are going hungry at school."