Letter to Senators Reid, McConnell, Durbin and Kyl

Letter

Senator John Kerry, together with 52 of his colleagues, today sent a letter to Congressional Leadership, asking them to act quickly to pass the "Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010." The bi-partisan legislation would reauthorize Federal child nutrition programs administered by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Programs that would receive renewed funding upon passage include the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Food Service Program. Such initiatives work to provide meal services for at-risk and low-income children, as well as to improve nutritional quality and standards for all food sold in schools. The legislation also provides $4.5 billion in additional funding over the next 10 years.

Approximately 240,000 students in Massachusetts rely on federal programs for nutritional meals in school. Millions of students nationwide use these programs every year.

"Every doctor and teacher knows that when kids are hungry they have trouble learning. This legislation represents a renewed investment in healthy lifestyles and preventing childhood obesity in our schools. Hunger should never come between a child and a quality education," said Senator John Kerry.

The full text of the letter is as follows:

Dear Senators Reid, McConnell, Durbin and Kyl:

We write to you today to urge swift passage in the Senate of S. 3307, the "Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010." This fiscally responsible and bipartisan legislation, which was unanimously approved by the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee on March 24 of this year, reauthorizes our nation's major Federal child nutrition programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), including the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Food Service Program. Maintaining strong momentum for consideration of this bipartisan legislation on the Senate floor is critical as we work to improve the bill.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 provides $4.5 billion in additional funding over the next 10 years -- nearly ten times the amount of money provided for the previous child nutrition reauthorization, and the largest new investment in child nutrition programs since their inception. The historic new investments provided by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 could not come at a more urgently needed moment, particularly given that the incidence of hunger and corresponding need for Federal nutrition assistance has increased dramatically in recent years.

In addition to their role in preventing hunger, Federal child nutrition programs play a critical role in promoting healthy lifestyles and combating the epidemic of childhood obesity, a growing and costly public health problem for our nation. Nearly 1 in 3 children throughout the United States struggle with overweight and obesity, and available health research shows a clear connection between obesity and other chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease, among others. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 contains a host of measures designed to bolster Federal efforts to aid in the fight against obesity and to give parents, schools, and local communities additional tools to help promote the kind of healthful habits that will enable children to lead longer, more productive lives.

We understand that there are many pressing legislative priorities competing for consideration on the Senate floor. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 represents an historic opportunity to enact legislation that enjoys broad bipartisan support and a strong grassroots backing among anti-hunger advocates, public health organizations, as well as many members of the food and beverage industry. With child nutrition programs scheduled to expire on September 30 of this year, time is of the essence. Accordingly, the Senate should take up and pass this legislation at the earliest possible convenience.

Thank you for your consideration, and we look forward to working with you to reauthorize child nutrition programs during this Congress.

Sincerely,

Senator John Kerry (D-MA)
Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
Senator Carl Levin (D-MI)
Senator Susan Collins (R-ME)
Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI)
Senator Edward Kaufman (D-DE)
Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC)
Senator Mark Warner (D-VA)
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN)
Senator Tom Udall (D-NM)
Senator Tom Carper (D-DE)
Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI)
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Senator Mark Begich (D-AK)
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Senator Roland Burris (D-IL)
Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE)
Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Senator Robert Casey (D-PA)
Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN)
Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV)
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA)
Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR)
Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO)
Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND)
Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO)
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Senator Max Baucus (D-MT)
Senator Bernard Sanders (I-VT)
Senator Jon Tester (D-MT)
Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Senator Al Franken (D-MN)
Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT)
Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)
Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI)
Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD)
Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL)
Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI)