WASHINGTON — Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts said he's intent on enacting a new child nutrition law by Sept. 30, giving schools more flexibility in meeting standards for school meals.
But Roberts acknowledged the battle he faces in rewriting the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 that authorized the Agriculture Department to raise meal requirements and regulate foods sold in school vending machines.
“I know there are some that may prefer that we not succeed in this endeavor,” Roberts said at the start of a hearing on the nutrition programs the law authorizes.
“It is time for folks to come together and be part of crafting legislation, not to stand outside the process hoping it fails.”
Roberts' challenge is that if he doesn't pass a bill, the programs and standards continue on even if the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act expires as scheduled on Sept. 30.
The committee's ranking Democrat, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, made clear she will resist lowering the standards, but she said she was working with Roberts on a reauthorization bill.
“We certainly want to have something that moves us forwards, not backwards,” she said after the hearing. “Sen. Roberts and I are having excellent conservations about doing that. I'm hopeful we can do that.”
The issue is a personal priority for first lady Michelle Obama, whom Roberts seemed to refer to in the hearing, although he didn't mention her by name.
“These programs are.not about any one's legacy,” Roberts said. “They are about ensuring our nation's security, ensuring that our children are well-educated and productive contributors to a competitive economy, and about helping the vulnerable among us who cannot help themselves.”