EINNEWS, November 15—What’s wrong with expanding eligibility for school meal programs, establishing nutrition standards for all foods sold in schools and providing a 6-cent increase for school lunches to make them healthier?
Nothing’s wrong with it, the U.S. Senate decided when it passed the food nutrition bill unanimously in August. But that may not stop House of Representative conservatives from blocking the bill in the lame duck session that begins today.
A group of conservatives is calling for Republicans to stymie any and every Democratic policy priority. The nonprofit Americans for Prosperity is meeting to push its “just say no” agenda today, with support from Reps. Mike Pence (Ind), Michele Bachmann (Minn), and congressmen elect Morgan Griffith (Va) and Frank Guinta (NH).
On her website, Bachmann calls the Democratic agenda “dangerous.”
More than 1,100 groups have petitioned the House to pass the bill during this post-election session. It would cost $4.5 billion, partially paid for by ending expansion of the food stamp program five months early.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs has called the childhood nutrition bill one of the administration’s three top priorities for the session. Others include the Bush tax cuts and the new START treaty with Russia.
If the measures passes the House it is still likely to overcome a conference committee to iron out provisions with the Senate version.
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