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Ellison Applauds Child Nutrition Legislation

Statement

Date: June 11, 2010
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Unemployed and Low-Income Minors and Children Agriculture and Food

Congressman Keith Ellison (DFL-Minneapolis) issued the following statement regarding the House Education and Labor Committee's legislation introduced yesterday to reauthorize the Child Nutrition Act:

"I commend Chairman George Miller for developing a strong bill to reauthorize the Child Nutrition Act. This legislation will reform our school meals programs by reducing barriers to participation, improving program access, and enhancing the quality of school meals.

I also want to thank Chairman Miller for including my legislation - the School Meals Stigma Reduction Act of 2010 (H.R. 5167) - into his draft bill.

Hungry minds cannot learn on empty stomachs. Unfortunately, some school districts stigmatize children when their families cannot afford to pay for school meals. This bill will stop this unfair practice and take the burden of paying for school meals off the backs of disadvantaged children and their parents in Minnesota during these tough economic times."

The House Education and Labor Committee is expected to complete its markup of the Child Nutrition Act this month before the Fourth of July Recess. The Child Nutrition Act must be reauthorized before September 30, 2010.


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