Action Needed: Child Nutrition Reauthorization Mark-Up Tomorrow

Action Needed: Child Nutrition Reauthorization Mark-Up Tomorrow

The Senate Agriculture Committee plans to mark up the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act this Wednesday, March 24 at 9:30 a.m. A webcast of the mark up will be available at www.agriculture.senate.gov. Click here for FRAC's summary of the bill and here for FRAC's statement.

At stake is sufficient funding, and the right mix of funding, for child nutrition program improvements, especially for low-income children.

Call Your Senators before Wednesday's Mark-Up
(Capitol Switchboard, 202-225-3121, or click here for FRAC's Congressional Directory)

* For tomorrow's Committee mark up, urge your Senator on the Agriculture Committee to speak out and support amendments that would increase access and participation to critically-important child nutrition programs, such as school breakfast and summer food.

* Urge Senators to pass a Child Nutrition Reauthorization package that builds on Chairman Blanche Lincoln's (D-AR) $4.5 billion (over 10 years) bill, which provides a critical start toward improving Child Nutrition Program access and participation in school meals, out-of-school time nutrition programs, and child care nutrition, especially for low-income children.

* Ask Senators, especially those on the Finance Committee and in leadership, to work with Chairman Lincoln to identify sufficient funding for a more robust Child Nutrition Reauthorization. In his FY 2011 budget, President Obama had requested an additional $10 billion (over 10 years) for Child Nutrition Reauthorization.

* Unfortunately, the bill proposes a $1.2 billion (over 10 years) reduction in funding to the SNAP Nutrition Education Program. Tell Senators that financing for Child Nutrition Reauthorization should not come out of other nutrition programs.

Sign the Access Letter - Deadline for Signatures is Wednesday, March 24 at Noon EST.

* FRAC will release the access sign-on letter this Thursday, March 25. We need your help to push us over the top and get more than 1,000 signatures in support of a strong Child Nutrition Reauthorization.

* If you haven't already done so, add your organization to the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Access Priority Letter - and tell your colleagues and networks to do the same. Click here to view and sign on to the letter.