(Washington, DC) – Congressman Charles W. Boustany, Jr., M.D. (R-South Louisiana) issued the following statement after recently sending a letter to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Thomas Vilsack regarding newly implemented rules involving the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program:

“This program is designed to encourage children’s health and well-being by promoting the benefits of a healthy, nutritional diet. Unfortunately, parents in South Louisiana have voiced their concern to my office about the opposite effects occurring. Students are failing to stay awake in class while being barred from eating supplementary snacks. The program fails to take into account the individual needs of children with a one-size-fits-all approach. That is why I support the No Hungry Kids Act, H.R. 6418. While the intent of the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program is to provide sufficient nutrition to support students’ learning capacity, this program is causing the undesired results it seeks to rectify. I am seeking to bring this matter to the Secretary’s attention in hopes of giving local school districts the flexibility to address students’ nutritional needs.”  

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