Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today released the following statement after voting in support of the Improving Child Nutrition Integrity and Access Act in the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee:
“The child nutrition reauthorization legislation that passed out of committee today is a good step forward, and I am encouraged that the bill includes provisions from my bipartisan Summer Meals Act to help provide more children with access to healthy meals throughout the summer. I am also pleased that this bill ensures kids will continue to get fruits and vegetables at each meal and encourages children to consume more dairy products, which is good for children and good for our dairy farmers in New York. I am concerned, however, about the new layers of red tape and increased bureaucracy this legislation creates, which could disproportionately affect our most vulnerable children and make it more difficult for them to access nutritious meals. I am also concerned that this legislation does nothing to increase the reimbursement rate for school meals, making it more difficult for our schools to serve healthy meals in the face of rising food costs. I will continue fighting to fix these problems as the bill reaches the Senate floor for a full vote.”