Today President Obama signed into law the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. The president and first lady Michelle Obama delivered remarks at Harriet Tubman Elementary School located in Washington, D.C. President and Mrs. Obama were joined by administration officials and members of Congress, as well as teachers, students and parents from Harriet Tubman Elementary School, Bancroft Elementary School and Murch Elementary School. The new law gives more children access to federally subsidized school meals and creates national standards for all foods sold in schools. It boosts the number of eligible children enrolled in school meal programs by approximately 115,000 students.
While this is a good thing, a point that often gets lost in coverage of the bill is that the money for funding the increase came from cuts in the food-stamp program, although President Obama said he is committed to working with Congress to find a way to restore those funds. This was a provision that has bothered some Democratic lawmakers. The reality is that you have to start somewhere, and making the health of our nation's children a priority is critical. Hopefully they will circle back and make sure that kids can actually eat at home too.
Read more at Whitehouse.gov.