House Approves $82.8 Billion for Nutrition Programs
Posted by admin - 10/10/09 at 08:10 am
The U.S. House approved $82.8 billion for federal nutrition programs ranging from food stamps to school lunch on Wednesday, including a plan to compensate poor families for lunches missed during flu epidemics.
The money is part of a $121 billion funding bill for the Agriculture Department and the Food and Drug Administration for the fiscal year that began Oct 1. Nutrition spending would rise by $6.6 billion from fiscal 2009, a reflection of the recession.
If schools are closed at least five days in a row due to epidemics, the government could aid to families with children who receive free or reduced-price lunches under a provision in the bill. The aid would be worth roughly $13.50 a week per child, based on the local price for lunch.
The initiative will mean child nutrition “is not overlooked in the midst of a pandemic emergency,” said the School Nutrition Association.
Representatives passed the bill, 263-163, and sent it to the Senate.
More than half of the 32 million children who participate in the school lunch program receive free or reduced-price meals. Child nutrition programs would get $16.9 billion under the bill, an increase of $1.9 billion from fiscal 2009. The Women, Infants and Children food program would get $7.25 billion, up $398 million.
Food stamps, the premiere federal antihunger program, would get $58.3 billion for fiscal 2010, a $4.3 billion increase. Nearly one in eight Americans received food stamps at latest count.
Included in the bill is a one-year extension of child nutrition programs, which were due for renewal in 2009.
Also in the bill are:
– $350 billion in aid for dairy farmers, who face the lowest farm-gate price for milk in three decades. USDA will decide how to apportion $290 million in aid directly to farmers. The remaining $60 million will buy cheese and other dairy products for donation to food banks;
