Washington, DC – Michael Bennet, U.S. Senator for Colorado, joined a bipartisan group of 53 Senators in sending a letter to Senate leadership urging that the Senate take up and pass landmark child nutrition legislation.  The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 will reduce childhood hunger, promote health through improved nutritional quality, reduce childhood obesity and improve program efficiency. This fiscally responsible legislation is entirely paid for.

“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,” the Senators wrote in the letter.  “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.”

This legislation will improve access to nutritious meals for kids in Colorado and make strides to improve child health and reduce obesity. In 2008, one in five children in the United States lived in food insecure households, and 17.2 percent of Colorado's children lack access to enough food to meet their basic needs.

Many kids in Colorado are eligible for free or reduced-price meals but are not able to participate in such programs because of bureaucratic complications. This bill increases access to these programs by expanding automatic enrollment and reducing the paperwork necessary to enroll.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 makes monumental investments that will reduce childhood obesity, and childhood hunger. The bill streamlines enrollment in summer, afterschool and school meal programs, improves program access, increases reimbursements to schools that provide healthier meals, and strengthens local school wellness policies while raising standards for foods sold in schools and promoting farm-to-school efforts.

For more information on the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, please click here.
The full text of the letter is included below.

May 27, 2010

The Honorable Harry Reid                                                     The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Majority Leader                                                                      Minority Leader
United States Senate                                                              United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510                                                          Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Richard Durbin                                              The Honorable Jon Kyl
Assistant Majority Leader                                                      Assistant Minority Leader
United States Senate                                                              United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510                                                          Washington, DC 20510

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.