Yesterday, I
wrote a diary exposing two recent votes that Congresswoman Elise Stefanik made in support of legislation that many leading medical organizations claim will cripple the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to enforce clean air and clean water standards. While conducting research on Stefanik's voting record, I also found out that Stefanik was a co-sponsor of legislation to weaken portions of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which mandated stronger nutrition standards in school lunches. The bill co-sponsored by Stefanik,
H.R. 1504, would eliminate a new sodium standard and reduce the whole grain requirement for school lunches that was established in the 2010 legislation. In addition, the bill would also prohibit the Secretary of Agriculture from enforcing any rules establishing a maximum limit on calories, quantity of grains and meat in school lunches for at least five years.
Here is
some of the text of the proposed legislation (
H.R. 1504):
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Reducing Federal Mandates on School Lunch Act” .
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION OF REGULATIONS ESTABLISHING CERTAIN LIMITS FOR THE SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM.
Beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and until the date of enactment of a law that extends by not less than 5 fiscal years the authorization or duration of 1 or more programs under the Richard B. Russell School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.), the Secretary of Agriculture shall not—
(1) implement, administer, or enforce part 210 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (as such part relates to the establishment of a maximum calorie limit and a maximum quantity of grains, meat, or meat alternatives for the school lunch program), as amended by the final regulations published by the Department of Agriculture in the Federal Register on January 26, 2012 (77 Fed. Reg. 4088 et seq.); or
(2) promulgate or enforce any new rule or regulation that establishes a maximum calorie limit or maximum quantity of grains, meat, or meat alternatives for the school lunch program established under the Richard B. Russell School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.).
SEC. 3. SODIUM TARGET LEVELS; WHOLE GRAIN REQUIREMENT.
Section 9(f) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(f)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(5) SODIUM TARGET LEVELS.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary shall not implement any regulation under this Act, the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.), the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–296), or any other law that would require a reduction in the quantity of sodium contained in federally reimbursed meals, foods, and snacks sold in schools below Target 1 (as described in section 220.8(f)(3) of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations)).
“(6) WHOLE GRAIN REQUIREMENT.—Notwithstanding the final rule of the Secretary entitled ‘Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs’ (77 Fed. Reg. 4088 (January 26, 2012)) or any other provision of law—
“(A) the Secretary shall only require that half of all grains in federally reimbursed meals, foods, and snacks sold in schools are whole grain-rich; and
“(B) school food authorities shall comply with the applicable grain component or standard with respect to the school lunch or school breakfast program that was in effect prior to July 1, 2014.”.
According to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics at opensecrets.org, Congresswoman Stefanik was a recipient of several contributions from agribusiness during the 2014 election cycle, including $7,500 from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, $5,000 from American Crystal Sugar, $1,000 from the American Sugarbeet Growers Association and $500 from Florida Crystals.