My personal experience has taught me that criminal background checks are extremely important, so I'm glad that will be a stand-alone vote ~ and my personal experience also has taught me that, depending on school location, school meals [whether subsidized or free] are exceptionally important as well ~ our school is in a very poor ward on Chicago's West side ~ something over 90% of our kidlets qualify for free meals, which is a high-ranking poverty indicator ~ we provide breakfast and lunch with upgraded nutrition ~ and after school snacks for the kidlets in after-school activities ~ without the free/subsidized meals and snacks, there is no question that a very significant portion of our kids would face each day hungry ~ that the GOP mindset would force children to go hungry is mind-bogglingly cruel and evil ~ Sooz 

GOP move scuttles child nutrition bill
Published: Dec. 2, 2010 at 8:32 AM

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- U.S. House Republicans thwarted efforts to pass a child nutrition bill that is at the core of first lady Michelle Obama's anti-obesity campaign, aides said.

House Democrats had hoped to pass the $4.5 billion legislation that would expand eligibility and funding for school lunch programs Wednesday and send it to President Obama for his signature, The Hill reported. The Senate unanimously approved the bill.

However, House Republicans offered a so-called "poison pill" motion that would require criminal background checks for childcare workers and would remove the federal mandate for subsidized meals in schools. Democrats pulled the child nutrition bill when they saw the amendment was headed for passage, a Democratic aide said.

"I am disappointed Republicans chose to play politics with a bill that enjoys strong bipartisan support and would increase access to school meal programs, improve the standards of food provided, and help reduce childhood obesity," Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said. "The real purpose of this ... was to delay this bipartisan bill from being signed into law."

Hoyer said Democrats would pass the background check provision as a stand-alone bill and then try to bring up the child nutrition legislation again Thursday.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/12/ ... 291296759/

Someone somewhere should post a list of all the bills the Repugnants have blocked over the past two years.

It's the Repugnant diet plan for obese kids, I'm tellin' ya.

GREAT NEWS! ~ this also buys some time to figure out how else to pay for the nutrition bill instead of via raping the food stamp program ~ there are some things that just should not be a partisan battle ~ for me, feeding people is one of those things ~ I am truly not a vindictive person by nature, but I admit I'm loving the House Rs having such a bad day ~  ~ Sooz

House passes $4.5B child nutrition bill
Published: Dec. 2, 2010 at 3:50 PM

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- The U.S. House of Representatives passed a $4.5 billion child nutrition bill on a 264-157 vote Thursday, sending the bill on to President Barack Obama.

Among other things, the bill would expand the school breakfast and lunch programs and would change nutritional standards for school cafeterias and vending machines, key to first lady Michelle Obama's anti-obesity campaign.

Because the Senate unanimously passed the bill in August, the bill can go to Obama for consideration upon House passage.

Funding would be offset by future cuts in the food stamp program.

House Democrats had hoped to pass the $4.5 billion legislation Wednesday, but Republicans offered a so-called "poison pill" motion that would require criminal background checks for childcare workers and would remove the federal mandate for subsidized meals in schools, The Hill reported. Democrats pulled the child nutrition bill when they saw the amendment was headed for passage, a Democratic aide said.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/12/ ... 291296759/

Some follow-up ~ and the last couple of sentences are a preview of what is on the horizon ~ Sooz

THE HEALTHY, HUNGER-FREE KIDS ACT.... With the job crisis failing to improve and the debate over tax policy going poorly, is there any good news coming out of the political world? Well, I was glad to see the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act pass both chambers of Congress.

The funding mechanism for this relatively inexpensive bill was far from ideal. Meals for low-income children, unlike tax cuts for millionaires, apparently have to be paid for, and sponsors were forced to take money from the food-stamp program in order to offset the costs of the child nutrition bill. Proponents hope to fix this down the road.

But in the meantime, this legislation should make a real difference in the lives of a lot of children.

When the Senate approved the bill over the summer, it was considered such a no-brainer that it passed by unanimous consent -- not one Senate Republican objected. But in the House, GOP lawmakers, after initially trying to kill the legislation, ultimately voted against it -- of the 157 Republicans who voted yesterday, 153 opposed the measure.

Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), for example, declared, " 'Stop growing government,' people are telling us. 'Stop spending money we do not have.' It's a simple request and a sensible one. Yet it continues to be ignored."

First, if Kline thinks the American electorate is demanding opposition to measures related to childhood nutrition, he should probably get out of his right-wing bubble. Second, he made it sound as if this bill would add to the deficit, but it will not.

And third, just so folks get a sense of what's to come, keep in mind that Kline will be the chairman of the House committee that oversees education policy next year.

It's going to be a long two years.

—Steve Benen 10:45 AM December 3, 2010

http://www.washingtonmont...idual/2010_12/026904.php