house Bill H.R. 1066
Should Waivers be Required to Buy Foreign Food for the National School Lunch Program?
Argument in favor
This commonsense, bipartisan bill ensures that Buy American provisions in the National School Lunch Program are followed by requiring waivers whenever school food authorities want to buy foreign commodities or products because of the scarcity or cost of domestic options.
04/05/2019
I strongly support this bill. There are children in the US whose only well rounded food is when they receive lunch at school, (not too long ago breakfast as well). If the schools can provide fresh food that is better, (either because it’s a better quality or better price), our children deserve them.
As all Americans, at times certain foods are recalled. These fresh foods can be from other countries AND foods from the US. Because this administration has made it part of their platform to diminish the roles and personnel at the FDA and EPA, the FDA must be allowed to address those issues as quickly and proficiently as possible.
04/05/2019
Why are we buying foreign food for our school lunch program, that’s nuts. Only American grown food must be used, it’s not only safer, more nutritious but good for our farmers and our economy. America first. #MAGA
04/05/2019
Yes, Please support The United States first. Also, buy Organic, Non-GMO first.
Argument opposed
The current exceptions process for Buy American provisions in the National School Lunch Program is sufficient, as a more stringent waiver request process would lead to more domestic goods being purchased which cost taxpayers more.
04/05/2019
I am not sure what they consider foreign foods. Most of our fresh vegetables come from Mexico and below all winter long. This Bill makes no sense.
04/05/2019
Ever hear of seasonality? This is foolish and short sighted. What are we going to feed the kids in the winter? Frozen pizza? The USA doesn’t produce fresh food year round. Dumb dumb dumb.
I strongly support this bill. There are children in the US whose only well rounded food is when they receive lunch at school, (not too long ago breakfast as well). If the schools can provide fresh food that is better, (either because it’s a better quality or better price), our children deserve them.
As all Americans, at times certain foods are recalled. These fresh foods can be from other countries AND foods from the US. Because this administration has made it part of their platform to diminish the roles and personnel at the FDA and EPA, the FDA must be allowed to address those issues as quickly and proficiently as possible.
I am not sure what they consider foreign foods. Most of our fresh vegetables come from Mexico and below all winter long. This Bill makes no sense.
And what works even better is growing organic vegetables on the site of the school by the children. local, sustainable, and organic foods are win win. Transporting foods great distances from other countries after processing them to death is not useful. I strongly question whether our factory farming is producing the healthiest food on the planet. If it is, we are in worse trouble than we imagined. This would be the tiniest first step in addressing the problem of sickening our own children with health destroying processed poisoned food.
Ever hear of seasonality? This is foolish and short sighted. What are we going to feed the kids in the winter? Frozen pizza? The USA doesn’t produce fresh food year round. Dumb dumb dumb.
Looks like we are adding more paperwork to an existing process.
American farmers are in the midst of the worst national crisis in history. They need support now more than ever.
Why are we buying foreign food for our school lunch program, that’s nuts. Only American grown food must be used, it’s not only safer, more nutritious but good for our farmers and our economy. America first. #MAGA
The federal government has no damn business having anything to do with education at any level. The Dept of Education is unconstitutional and should be completely eliminated along with every single federal program and every single dollar that goes with them. When the Dept of Education was created (unconstitutionally) America was number one in the world in education, now we're not even top 25. If you don't agree with the Constitutional argument then how about this... ITS NOT WORKING!! Government involvement in education is destroying education! Leave it to the states or better yet the individual communities to decide what their education system needs.
Much of our fruits and vegetables come from south of our border. If schools are required to buy US produce only we are going to pay a lot more money to get out out of season fresh foods from CA and FL only. And, I suspect we have trade deals in place that are contrary to this idea. This bill sounds good but I don’t think it will work well in practice.
While I appreciate the intent of this bill, I think we are putting too tight of a leash on school food authorities. Food can be contaminated whether it comes from foreign countries or right here in the U.S. You also don’t need to buy domestically in order to get fresh produce. Instead, we need to be focusing on improving the amount of healthy lunches that our children consume and getting rid of a lot of the processed crap.
Should local school districts make purchases from local suppliers? Emphatically Yes, but Each school district should be making that decision, not the United States Congress. Allow local districts the freedom to make the choices that work best for them.
Yes, Please support The United States first. Also, buy Organic, Non-GMO first.
What about truly local, organic, community gardens providing the produce? In tandem with students sharing in the raising the crops? Without the transportation costs in money and pollution?
Why does the government come up with continuous new bills to vote on? It seems there is a constant flow of voting taking place. We need less government involvement!! More funding and decision making needs to take place at the state level.. this is a state level choice and sounds like a money waster. This is how it works, we import and export products. I don’t need the schools emailing me and posting on their website that our school strawberries came from Mexico. The ones I bought in the store probably did to! Stop wasting taxpayers money with these bills!! If parents don’t like it, send a lunch from home.
Most of the food come from Mexico, central America and South America in the fall and winter months?
We don’t need foreign food for our American children to save a few bucks
Funny how California is seeking a way to make it more difficult to buy products from foreign countries. I didn’t know California had a year round growing season. Sounds like they are protecting their own interests in the name of a more quality product. This is a global economy. I agree with buy America first but the produce from Mexico and Chile is as safe as American grown. Beef from Brazil and Argentina is as safe as American beef but considerably less expensive. So let’s not go thinking this is necessary to keep kids safe from “dirty” foreign products. This is protection for the corporate farms in California. Once again it’s profits before people.