Items Tagged with 'child nutrition reauthorization'

House Democrats advanced bills that would expand child nutrition assistance and require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue rules for protecting workers from excessive heat.

President Joe Biden’s nominee as chief agricultural trade negotiator, Doug McKalip, gets a Senate confirmation hearing this week, and House Democrats will advance a child nutrition reauthorization bill that would expand eligibility for free lunches and increase meal subsidies for schools.

Some $90 billion in agriculture and child nutrition spending that’s part of the stalled Build Back Better bill is in play as the White House and congressional Democrats disassemble the $1.7 trillion measure and possibly move some of the funding into other legislation.

President Joe Biden today is proposing a $1.8 billion package of spending on child nutrition and other social needs that would be paid for in part by new taxes on inherited assets. The president’s plan promises to protect family-run farms from the new taxes as long as the farms stay in operation.

Senate Republicans are joining school food service directors in pushing for relief from federal nutrition standards as Congress reauthorizes school meal programs.

Lawmakers are looking to pass the first child nutrition reauthorization bill in more than a decade this year by building on the political momentum behind measures to expand access to federally funded meals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Congressional Democrats will use this week to build their case for two major priorities, a multi-trillion dollar climate and infrastructure package, and a child nutrition reauthorization bill that could be used to increase the number of kids getting free meals.

Robert Guenther, senior vice president of public policy, shared the top items on the United Fresh agenda for 2020.

Trade remains the top concern for American agriculture heading into 2020, with looming uncertainty about whether the Chinese will make promised increases in commodity purchases, and whether President Donald Trump will provide another round of trade assistance to U.S. producers.