might think of some sort of sharing arrangement with that. because it is something that is going to be -- is going to have to be on the table. >> on behalf of all of us here at the university of maryland, we want to thank all of you for joining this conversation. when this forum was created, it was to create opportunities for members of the university of academic community to have the conversations that we have had to try to find ways of advancing solutions to the important and critical problems facing the country. that's just what we've had here today. and we're grateful to saul stern for having. thank you to our panelists for all you do. [applause] [inaudible conversations]

>> if you have a process where it takes years to get an answer and you're bogged down in the courts, which is what is threatening our industry right now, that's not a good answer for anybody and it certainly doesn't make the agency effective. >> verizon executive vice president for policy and former congressman tom tauke on calling the federal government to take a fresh look at communications policy tonight on "the communicators" tonight on c-span2.

>> i know what the challenge is. and we're in a unique position to go to war. what we need is policymakers in washington is to develop a roadmap so we can get it done. >> something about energy policy that you'd like to talk about on your blog? at the new c-span video library you can search it, watch it, clip it and share it. over 160,000 hours of video from yesterday or 10 years ago. every c-span program since 1987. the c-span video library. cable's latest gift to america. >> now a look at the obama administration's plan to target child hunger and obesity. the house education committee held this hearing. it runs about an hour and 40 minutes.

>> the quorum being present the question will come to order. to conduct the hearing on improving children's health, strengthening the federal child nutrition programs. i want to welcome our witnesses and thank you for taking your time to be with us. i'm going to introduce you in a moment. but first we're going to have opening statements by myself and by representative klein. my statement starts out saying this morning so we'll change it right away and say this afternoon. we'll examine how stronger nutrition programs can help fight childhood obesity epidemic and help improve our student's learning and health. today almost 1 in 3 children are obese. child obesity affects all aspects of children's lives from their physical well-being to their academic success to their self-confidence. the health of our children should be the top national priority. as many of you know, first lady mr. obama recently announced that ending childhood obesity will be her first major policy initiative. last month she launched the

let's move campaign to ensure that children born today will grow up as healthy adults. mr. klein and myself was at the white house when she met with a bipartisan group on what considerations she might make when we reconsider the authorization. by offering a realistic goal of making children healthier and more active within a generation, she has set the stage for dramatic improvements. to help achieve this goal, her initiative contains the four key pillars. getting parents more involved and informed about nutrition and exercise, making healthy foods more accessible and affordable, increasing the attention of physical activity and improving the food in school meal programs. the first lady and i both know the government cannot curb this epidemic says individuals, families and the public sector all share the responsibility. i welcome her involvement. ...

>> the child and adult care food program also provides critical nutrition support for young children. this program helps make nutritious meals and snacks possible for 3 million children in childcare centers, family child care homes, head start, and afterschool programs.

the meals children receive in this program are more nutritious and well-balanced than in other childcare programs. this success, tough economic times and the paperwork requirements that focused some sponsors to make the difficult decisions to stop administering this program. in south-central l.a. one of the highest risk areas of hunger and obesity in california no organization was able to sponsor this program this year. we will go into detail and that in the question period. as a result more than 5000 low income children lost access to snacks. if we're serious about improving children's health we will have to make these programs and other sources of nutrition a priority. but the discussion doesn't end there. as the first lady says we must also consider the role schools play in providing children with healthy meals. we expect children to come to school prepared to learn. but studies show that hunger and poor nutrition can be a major barrier to their success. our work to reauthorize a child

nutrition programs present a great opportunity to change the way children heat, took spanned the assets to nutritional meals and to end the child hunger crisis in our country. we must ensure they have the support to provide high quality meals and safe meals so that children can make healthy choices. we must enter all eligible children can access these programs by removing barriers, family space when in one and a school meal programs. today we will learn more about the work that lies ahead to provide all children with a healthy nutritious and safe meals they need to lead healthy and successful life. i want to thank our witnesses were doing today and i look forward to hearing from her testimony. now i would like to recognize mr. kline for the purposes of an opening statement. thank you, mr. chairman, and good afternoon to all. welcome to our witnesses. today we will examine federal child nutrition broke rams with an eye toward improving children's health. childhood obesity rates are a serious concern for parents and

families, and it does adjust to the health of our nation as a whole. what children eat at school certain plays a role in their overall nutrition. so i welcome this opportunity look at what parents and local schools are doing to grow healthy giving habits. the last time we reauthorized the federal nutrition program, congress golden school districts to establish whelchel until local wellness policies. in fact, it was my friend mike gaskell who took the lead on addressing children's health with these local policies. local policies are the most direct and responsive strategy for promoting healthy eating habits at home and at school. they allow schools to get buy-in and development for parents and students. they count for demographic and economic differences as well as local food preferences. they avoid the dangers of one size fits all federal approach school menu planning. of course, the school breakfast and lunch programs are not the only initiatives to support child nutrition.

when congress reauthorize the child nutrition programs we will also look at the child and adult care food program and the women, infant, and children program commonly known as wic. these programs help combat hunger and promote nutrition to low income americans. our goal in renewing these programs should be the about between federal support and locally or she. with a local wellness policies and other initiatives school districts have a broad range of policies developed better health, to combat hunger. i would caution as we prepare to renew and extend these programs that we not confuse support for healthy school environment in federal mandates for what children and their families are allowed to eat. one report from the institute of medicine concluded a radical change might undermine participation in the school lunch program, saying if it school children are not satisfied with the taste of food served in school meals, participation in school meal programs is likely to decrease.

unquote. that is not to say that school meals should not be nutritious. but ultimately good health habits begin at home. that's late important local schools have the flexibility to work with parents to develop policies that work for their students. local schools also need the flexibility to determine what food is sold outside the cafeteria. many schools are voluntarily including healthy snacks in the vending machines are at extracurricular event. ultimately, it is the control over food policy that allows for innovation while still respond to each schools unique circumstances. we've all heard the outrageous stories in which a piece of banana bread at a bake sale does not meet nutritional standards, but a bag of chips meet the requirement. arbitrary nutritional mandates can backfire when the override common sense. i hope will keep these details in mind as we support our parents and local schools can improve children's health. thank you, mr. chairman. i yield back. >> pursuant to committee rule, all members may submit an opening statement in writing

which will be made part of a permanent record. and i would like to introduce our panel of witnesses for this thing. first witness, ms. dora rivas is truly serving, president-elect of the school nutrition association after certain as a member of the membership committee in 2005-2006. she has been in food service for 36 years. in january 2005 she took the role of food and child nutrition services, executive director for the dallas independent school district that she is certified with the texas association school nutrition and school with a school nutrition association. she also is a registered dietitian with the american dietetic association. carolyn morrison is the present a national child and adult care food program and the ceo of the child care development services in oregon. in addition to being current and past president of the national child and adult care food program for him, she has served

in national committee and has forced to improve the program. she has served as advisor for the national food service marketing institute, the california child and adult programs roundtable and california food policy advocates and sponsors our lives. i believe our colleague, understood you, will introduce the next witness. >> today i had the pleasure of introducing one of my own constituents, kiran saluja who is deputy director of the public health foundation enterprises of transient and irwindale, california. this organization is a nonprofit agency that's been providing wic services in the los angeles and orange county areas for over 34 years. she oversees 54 wic centers that are throughout the to counter serving 325,000 clients every month, and i'm pleased to report that in my district she oversees

seven wic locations that serve over 46,000 people. ms. saluja first 20 public health foundation wic in 1984 as a nutritious. she is a registered dietitian and a member of the national wic association, the american public health association and the american dietetic association. she has focused much of her work on breast-feeding. thank you, ms. saluja for joining us today and i look forward to your testimony. >> thank you and welcome. our next witness will be lucy gettman who's the director of the federal programs for the national school boards association. she began her career as the advocacy quartet with the children's hunger alliance in ohio. she has no policy a professional position with the ohio attorney general, and the energy diversity council of ohio. immediately prior to her work with the association she was director of federal relations. she currently specializes in early childhood education, child

nutrition education technology and literacy issue for the national school boards association. welcome to all of you. you're prepared testimony will be placed in the record in its entirety. you're going to be given five minutes to explain the highlights of your testimony. and in budget you see the small boxes. when you begin, the green light will go on. when you have used it for under five mins, and orange light will go on. you may think about wrapping it up. when a red light goes on your time will have expired. welcome. we look forward to your testimony and to the responses you will have to mayors of the committee's questions. >> thank you. chairman miller, members of the committee, thank you very much for computing the extraordinary tradition of this hearing. we deeply appreciate the courtesy. our two highest priorities on our issue paper in general are to expand access and improve the nutritional content of the meals and environment of the local school. first we have several

suggestions to expand access. we recommend that direct certification and directive verifications be a high priority that you continue to expand its use for child nutrition. we recommend for the statue be amended to allow for community eligibility in high poverty areas so that children who do not have to individuals fill out the applications. the hunger free school act, h.r. 4148, has a provision that embraces this concept. we support expansion of the summer food program and afterschool childcare program. we support the healthy start act introduced by representative stephanie and jo ann emerson to provide 5 cents and usda per meal for the school breakfast program. that is h.r. 4638. we urge the congress to expand the free meal programs gradually over time to make the income guidelines consistent with the income guidelines in the wic program.

h.r. 3705 has been introduced to do this, and we support that approach. finally, we ask that you close a major loop hole in the statute which allows funds that you appropriate for school meals to be used for expensive, unrelated to providing those the school meals. there is no provision in the statute or in the regulations that govern what expenses can be reimbursed. furthermore, when a charge is made that we believed to be inappropriate, there is no recourse. there is no appeal process to usda. our suggested amendment is written in the testimony. second, with regard to nutrition integrity, we have a few suggestions. partnership with a first lady michelle obama let's move campaign has admitted to further improving healthy school meals and advancing nutrition, education for american children. i encourage you to go to our website to learn more about that partnership on the first ladies let's move campaign. we urge the committee to

increase the reimbursement in all meal categories. we urge you to also amend the statute and require the secretary to establish a consistent national application of the most recent dietary guidelines for all meals we have burst by the department of agriculture. the current statute is effective into current respect. first, it requires knows to be consistent with the goals of the dietary guidelines. that is not specific enough. the meals must be consistent with the guidelines, not just the goals of the guidelines. second, someone must be in charge of deciding if the meals are, in fact, consistent with the guidelines. that responsibility must rest with the secretary. if every state and local community can decide if they are meeting the guidelines, then there is no standard at all. children need the same nutrients regardless of where they live. it is basic science. the country is spending a lot of money to develop the iom report and to craft the dietary

guidelines. they should be followed consistently. the time has clearly come to end the so-called time and place rule, and give the secretary the authority needed to regulate the nutritional quality of all foods and beverages sold on the school campus during the school day. the secretary should be required to promulgate regulations to guarantee that all fruit and beverages sold in schools are consistent with the most recent edition of the dietary guidelines for americans. taking into consideration the recommendations of the institute of medicine and sma's recommendation for national nutrition standards that what is mostly a matter of science, let me also mention that the current multiplicity of nutrition standards across the country is driving up the cost of the program. the more products specifications that exist in school market, the higher the cost of production and the cost of the program. again, our specific amendment with regard to consistency is include in our written testimony.

we must finally establish an effective nutrition education program in the school. chairman miller, members of the committee, thank you again for continuing this special tradition. we pledged to work closely with the majority and the minority to crack the reactivation bill that is both faithful to our children and responded to the deficit. i would be pleased to answer any questions that you may have. >> ms. morrison? >> good afternoon, mr. chairman, and members of the committee. my name is carolyn morrison and i'm president of the national forum and a sponsor of the usda childhood program in oregon. thank you for the opportunity to join you this afternoon to discuss the key role of the child adult care food program place in assuring young children of access to good nutrition and to offer recommendations for reauthorization. program improvements can also help reduce childhood overweight and obesity a priority about

which are first lady is so passionate. every day across the country millions of low-income families rely on healthy food their children receiving childcare programs because of his usda program. we all know hunger affects a child's health and capacity to learn and to be at the best. this program resources support new good nutrition, and prevent childhood obesity but authoring healthy food and teaching young children and their caregivers about healthy lifestyles and meal patterns. as a middle-class mom who decide to be a childcare provider in the early '80s, i learned firsthand from my exposure to low income children who were in my care. i would ever forget the four year old boys who wondered why i couldn't and didn't just go out and bypasses. johnny's mom was poor and struggle to make ends meet. she loved her kids but didn't have the resources, knowledge or energy to feed them well. the only nutritious meals per children receive from a years worth those that she received an childcare or are when they were at school. even a crucial role, cognitive

growth and develop an of a child, and the lack of knowledge and resources of many working families, expanding access to the program is vital to ensuring that all children in care things have the opportunities to grow strong and live healthy healthy productive life. form a children and cannot childcare like johnny, the daycare program they attend is their primary source of food. they spend 10 to 12 hours each day in care and receive most if not all of their meals while there. of our childcare facility the option of serving a third meal service as was previously allowed it is an opportunity to improve child nutrition through we authorization. the program is an essential source of support for childcare providers and head start programs. program research has included technical assistance, on site visits, and a reimbursement for costs. the program also serves as an important tool in creating and maintaining accessible, affordable quality child care

for working families. reducing the program area eligibility and the current 50%, 40%, could accomplish through reauthorization and group access to healthy meals for many more children. increasing the availability and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lower fats for young children is essential to improve development and health and to prevent obesity at the one time early childhood when they can have the most long-term affect. and updating the program nutrition standards and meal pattern to make them consistent with the most recent dietary guidelines could be accomplished through reauthorization. improving meal quality will require and hands me a reimbursement. the network of program sponsors is breaking down. sponsors are choosing to discontinue offering the service because they cannot afford to continue to operate given the paperwork and oversight responsibilities. nationally 27% of sponsors have chosen to leave the program.

this is an especially service problem in los angeles where sponsors chose to leave over 700 providers unserved in a very low income community. and large challenge in my state of oregon is the size of the geography of our state that while 67% of caregivers are consummate in six over 36 counties, providers in a very rural area participate as well. sponsor administrative reimbursement rate should be brought up to the level necessary to provide quality nutrition and wellness education, cover the cost of transportation for serving rural areas, cover the cost of additional visits at the time spent in helping low income providers overcome literacy and language issues. as they must remain palatable for the program by meeting training requirements. we have work to make, meet this challenge by developing and offering online training and healthy nutrition. this positively impact our retention of childcare providers on the program as they now have

access to mandatory training regardless of where they live. among other topics is training focus on serving more fresh fruits and vegetables, whole milk and oak ridge and have the benefit of helping them meet licensing requirements. in closing, we strongly support legislation by representative talk about the access to nutritious meals for young children act which includes the recommendations i have discussed today. and lastly i would like to invite each of you when you are home in your district to visit childcare centers, homes and sponsoring organizations to see firsthand the importance and opportunities available through the program for playing a role in improving children's health, their lives and reducing the childhood obesity epidemic. thank you for this opportunity should this information with you on behalf of all of sponsors. >> thank you.

>> is this on? thank you so much for the very nice introduction. i am kiran saluja. i hear from los angeles. i work with is very large organization that dr. chu told us about. and i'm also here as the voice of the national associatassociation which essentially is africa's the voice of over 12,000 service agencies that provide transient services to over 9.2 million participants throughout the country. of these 9.2 million, 7 million our infants and children under the age of five and exactly what you're talking about here today preventing childhood obesity really means to start any wic program. i'm here today that we have the solution. we can ask the start to prevent childhood obesity from the day the child is born and the way we do it is by ensuring that this job gives exclusively breast-fed. not only does it get as close alee breast-fed at birth but through duration.

because the according to the disease control and prevention we can prevent 15 and 30% of childhood obesity at the child is breast-fed. and it goes on to at least six months. this is a magic pill. why have we embraced it? well, it certainly isn't for lack of effort because i want to thank all the members of this committee. i want to thank chairman miller specifically, representative mccarthy, thanks to all of you, the act appropriations committee provide a major expansion, we quadrupled the breast feeding money in the last bill. they create a new breast-feeding performance bonus which is very unusual and is extremely welcomed by wic agencies and provide new funding for evaluation of program effectiveness. the wic food package, we've been waiting for it to change. in october it did change. it is a fabless tool for us to

really get out there with good nutrition messages and has a little extra food for the fully breast-feeding mother which helps us package exclusive breast-feeding that you might say what is wic doing with breast feeding? our rates are increasing but they are increasing very slowly. and we are lagging behind the national data, because non-wic moms do better than wic moms. why is that happen? i fear to ask you five things that everybody is asking you. number one, we would really like you to include in the services to restore the food dollar increment that is fully breast-feeding moms have when they have that little extra edge. it doesn't sound like a lot but that $2, that wic out in the field can leverage it when they're working with the mom when she is kind of vacillating, i don't know, what should i do. you get extra fruits and vegetables a we would like to see that put back in. we would like you to make as sometime so we can help others

where they need to support. you might say how can i do that? i can create them. yes, you can. you can help us by extending certification for children that are 40% of our participants to one year. we do that for breast-feeding moms. we do that for, we should afford children. now, what about barriers? everybody doesn't live in the wic were. if they did we would have childhood obesity. we would have everybody breast-feeding. well, the extra the barriers to breast-feeding willie mean comprehensive policy changes in institutions that our mothers go to outside of wic because we really need to optimize this money that has been put into wic to do what we should be doing. and i'm speaking specifically of unsupportive infant feeding policies in the health care system. i'm speaking of the intent direct marketing of infant formula, and i'm speaking of

full community and workplace support. so what i'm asking you all is to really, i hate the cliché, think outside the box, but think outside the box and work with members of congress and figure out how can we tackle this problem, how can we tackle legislation that says, if there are american birth happening in a hospital from that hospital should not sabotage breast-feeding. it should support breast-feeding. and you might how does it sabotage breast-feeding? they give 80s formula bottles right up her thick mothers get separate from the biggest that it's not that people want to be me. it's just the policy. it's like an arcade policy that needs to be change, and our hospitals not that has been embraced policies out of the different. oregon has some very wonderful hospitals. northern california does. throughout the country we have some very good model. i would love us to have many more of them throughout the country. you might say, you know, my time is almost up, moms get very confused with marketing message.