Transcript & Video Link to Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro's speech on the House floor in support of CNR!

Copied from http://www.c-span.org/ 

VIDEO: http://www.c-spanvideo.org/videoLibrary/clip.php?appid=599223899

01:39:24 I THANK THE GENTLEMAN, AND I MIGHT JUST SAY TO THE PRIOR SPEAKER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DID NOT VOTE TO CUT FOOD FOR KIDS IN OUR COUNTRY.


01:39:46 THEY VOTED TO CUT THE TAX CUTS THAT ARE PROVIDED TO THE CORPORATE SPECIAL INTERESTS IN THIS NATION, WHICH THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE SEEMS TO HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH.

01:39:55 I RISE TODAY IN SUPPORT OF THIS RULE, THE HUNGER-FREE KIDS ACT REPRESENTS A LONG OVERDUE, A MUCH-NEEDED RECOMMITMENT TO THE HEALTH AND TO THE WELL-BEING OF OUR SCHOOLCHILDREN.

01:40:07 WE ALL KNOW THE DOUBLE-EDGE PROBLEM THAT MILLIONS OF YOUNG PEOPLE CURRENTLY FACE.

01:40:13 TODAY'S KIDS ARE THREATENED BY BOTH THE GROWING OBESITY EPIDEMIC AND FAR TOO MANY STRUGGLING FAMILIES IN THIS ECONOMY ARE FACING HUNGER.

01:40:23 AND ACCORDING TO A RECENT REPORT, ONE OUT OF EVERY FOUR YOUNG ADULTS ARE TOO OVERWEIGHT TO SERVE IN OUR MILITARY.

01:40:31 AT THE SAME TIME, ACCORDING TO THE FOOD RESEARCH ACTION CENTER, ONE OUT OF EVERY FOUR HOUSEHOLDS WITH CHILDREN EXPERIENCE FOOD HARDSHIPS THIS YEAR, MEANING THEY DID NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO PURCHASE THE FOOD THEIR FAMILIES NEEDED.

01:40:45 DON'T LET PEOPLE FOOL YOU WITH WORDS LIKE FOOD HARDSHIP AND FOOD INSECURITY.

01:40:51 IT RESULTS IN HUNGER.

01:40:53 KIDS IN THIS NATION ARE GOING TO BED HUNGRY EVERY SINGLE NIGHT.

01:41:00 THIS BILL MARKS A SIGNIFICANT STEP FORWARD AGAINST BOTH FRONTS OF THIS DANGEROUS MOVEMENT BY EXPANDING ACCESS TO ALL SCHOOLCHILDREN.

01:41:08 EMPHASIZING GOOD NUTRITION FOR THIS BILL WILL REDUCE HUNGER.

01:41:11 IT WILL REDUCE OBESITY.

01:41:13 THE HUNGER-FREE KIDS ACT WILL ADD $115 -- 115,000 NEW STUDENTS INTO THE SCHOOL MEAL PROGRAM.

01:41:22 IT USES MEDICAID DATA TO CERTIFY ELIGIBLE KIDS.

01:41:25 IT WILL PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL 21 MILLION MEALS A YEAR BY REIMBURSING PROVIDERS FOR AFTER-SCHOOL MEALS TO LOW-INCOME CHILDREN.

01:41:35 WHILE EXPANDING ACCESS TO MEAL PROGRAMS, THIS BILL WORKS TO IMPROVE THE NUTRITIONAL QUALITY OF ALL THE FOOD IN OUR SCHOOLS.

01:41:43 IT SETS NATIONAL NUTRITION STANDARDS THAT WILL FINALLY GET ALL OF THE JUNK FOOD INFILTRATING OUR CLASSROOMS AND AND FOR THOSE SCHOOLS WHO OUR CAFETERIAS OUT THE DOOR.

01:41:55 COMPLY WITH THESE REVISED NUTRITION STANDARDS, IT PROVIDES THE FIRST REAL REIMBURSEMENT RATE INCREASE.

01:42:03 SIX CENTS A MEAL.

01:42:05 AND THAT IS THE LARGEST 30 YEARS.

01:42:07 INCREASE WE HAVE SEEN IN OVER THIS BILL WILL ALSO STRENGTHEN THE FAR-TO-SCHOOL NETWORK SO THAT MORE HEALTHY PRODUCE, LOCAL FOOD, EVEN THE FOODS THAT ARE GROWN IN THE SCHOOL GARDEN CAN FIND THEIR WAY INTO THE MENUS.

01:42:23 OUR KIDS CONSUME ROUGHLY 35% TO 50% OF THEIR DAILY CALORIES DURING THE SCHOOL DAY.

01:42:29 BY PASSING THIS BILL WE CAN HELP SEE THAT THEY ARE GETTING ENOUGH NUTRITIOUS FOOD TO STAY HEALTHY, TO GROW, TO LEARN, TO SUCCEED, AND GIVEN THE CURRENT ECONOMIC CLIMATE, I KNOW SOME WILL ASK -- HOW CAN WE AFFORD THIS BILL?

01:42:45 I SAY, HOW CAN WE AFFORD NOT TO PASS IT?

01:42:49 LEAVING MILLIONS OF CHILDREN HUNGRY, MALNOURISHED IN THE NAME OF BUDGET CUTTING IS PENNY-WISE, POUND FOOLISH, ESPECIALLY FROM THOSE WHO WILL SAY LET'S PROVIDE THE RICHEST 2% OF THOSE IN THIS NATION WITH A TAX CUT AND OVER $00,000 A YEAR.

01:43:09 THEY'RE EATING WELL.

01:43:10 THEY'RE EATING HIGH ON THE HOG AND KIDS ARE GOING TO BED HUNGRY EVERY NIGHT IN OUR NATION.

01:43:16 COUNTLESS STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT KIDS WITH ACCESS TO A NUTRITIOUS BREAKFAST PERFORM WELL, DO BETTER IN SCHOOL.

01:43:22 FROM THE VERY BEGINNING I HAVE BEEN WORKING AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN WORKING TO EXPAND ACCESS TO FEDERAL AID, INCLUDING THE FOOD STAMP PROGRAM FOR ELIGIBLE CHILDREN.

01:43:33 WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR KIDS HAVE ACCESS TO THE NUTRITION THEY NEED FOR A HEALTHY FUTURE.

01:43:39 USING THE FOOD STAMP MONEY FOR AN OFFSET -- THANK YOU.

01:43:42 USING THE FOOD STAMP MONEY AS AN OFFSET IS A TIME WHEN ONE IN FIVE KIDS RECEIVED FOOD STAMP ASSISTANCE MOVES US AWAY FROM NEVERTHELESS, THIS LEGISLATION THAT GOAL.

01:43:52 IS A BIG STEP FORWARD.

01:43:53 I FOR ONE AND OTHERS HAVE SAID WE WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH, TO SEE THAT THE SNAP FUNDING IS RESTORED.

01:44:00 WE WILL WORK WITH THE WHITE HOUSE TO MAKE SURE THOSE FUNDS ARE RESTORED, AND I'M HAPPY TO SEE THE CONGRESS MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TODAY AND PLEDGE TO FIGHT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES THAT WILL ALLOW US TO HAVE ALL KIDS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THESE RESOURCES HAVE THE ACCESSIBILITY TO GAIN THESE RESOURCES.

01:44:21 I URGE MY COLLEAGUES, VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS RULE.

01:44:24 NOTHING THAT WE DO IN THIS BODY IS AS IMPORTANT THAN ENSURING THAT OUR CHILDREN, OR GRANDCHILDREN AND THE NEXT GENERATION OF AMERICANS HAVE THE TOOLS, THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE NUTRITION THAT THEY NEED TO THRIVE AND TO SUCCEED.

01:44:38 OUR KIDS DESERVE NO LESS.

01:44:40 .

01:44:40 THANK YOU AND I YIELD BACK.

Congresswoman DeLauro- On behalf of all the children in this country, THANK YOU!