CONGRESSIONAL RECORD -- SENATE
Page 15537
May 29, 1968
Mr. HART. . . . The second in the order of importance and need is the pilot school breakfast program. This program attempts to assist schools in providing hot breakfasts for children. As I indicated in my remarks yesterday, reports are frequent that children come to school lethargic, having had no morning meal, or certainly no hot meal, as a consequence of which the morning is wasted with a detrimental effect on the child as well as on others in the classroom.
This program was first authorized in 1966. The first appropriation, in the amount of $2 million, was made in 1967. In 1968, the amount was increased to $3.5 million. For fiscal 1969, the budget request is for $6.5 million. Our committee -- and wisely, I believe -- has increased the figure of $3.5 million sent us by the House of Representatives to $4.5 million. My amendment, as it relates to the pilot school breakfast program, would increase that figure to the budget request of $6.5 million, or an increase of $2 million.
Mr. President, the third and fourth areas covered by this amendment relate to what is described as non-food assistance. This is a program which attempts to assist States which already are making efforts in this area to obtain equipment for the schools. Tragically, where the need of the children is greatest, the school plant is generally the oldest; it was built before the days of hot lunches, when everyone went home for lunch. Generally, even though the children in those schools go home for lunch now, most of them do not go home to houses of light -- or food, either. I believe this is a very worthwhile effort on the part of the Federal Government. It was first authorized in 1966, but in the succeeding 2 years the appropriation has been held to a figure of $750,000.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. (Mr. BURDICK in the chair). The Senator's time has expired.
Mr. HART. I yield myself 5 additional minutes.
That amount does not buy very many refrigerators, food containers, or anything else, when spread across 50 States.
The budget request is for $6 million. My amendment would increase the amount our committee has recommended -- $2 million -- to the budget figure. The House of Representatives -- unhappily, as I see it -- has retained the figure of $750,000.
The second of the remaining two programs would help State school people extend the several programs we are talking about in this subject area, by providing $2.3 million for State administrative expense. We have never funded in this area, although it was authorized in 1966.
This provision would enable technical assistance to be provided, and would be especially valuable for schools coming into one or more of these programs for the first time.
Mr. President, as I did yesterday, I again acknowledge the appreciation of those of us who, over these years, have been especially interested in school lunch programs, to the Committee on Appropriations, and particularly to the Senator from Florida [Mr. HOLLAND]. In the bill that our committee presents us, in the first three of the areas I have described, the committee responds much more adequately to what I think is an obvious and serious need in this country than did our colleagues in the House of Representatives.
For this we are all grateful, and in a sense embarrassed at now having to take the floor and, by implication at least, suggest that the action of our fellow Senators on the committee was not adequate. Mr. President, it was infinitely better than that of our colleagues at the other end of the hall, and I think it quite in order that I repeat my appreciation.
Mr. President, to summarize, the most critical area is that of section II feeding. The next most critical area is extending increased support of the school breakfast program. The remaining two items are of real interest, and reflect a response we believe should be made to an established need as we see it. I hope, Mr. President, that the day will soon be at hand when Congress will step up to an adequate level its response to the needs in all of these areas.
I have had a visit this morning with the able Senator from Florida, and I know he has some reactions to my proposals, reactions which I would describe as praiseworthy and constructive. I anticipate that he will voice some further reactions to my remarks.
Mr. HOLLAND. Mr. President, I yield myself 5 minutes.
I am glad that the Senator from Michigan has made it clear that our committee has gone considerably farther than our colleagues at the other end of the hall in taking care of these needs of the poor children, or the children in impoverished areas, because we have. My own feeling is that we have gone about as far as is reasonable under the conditions existing; and I now recite what we have done.
We have raised the $5 million figure for section II that was contained in the bill last year -- and that was reported in the House by its committee and passed by the House -- to $7.5 million, which is a 50-percent increase for section II assistance to poor schools. The budget had requested $10 million.
I would have no great objection to the granting of that $10 million, although I have told my distinguished friend that I do not have any great optimism about this having any practical bearing upon our colleagues at the other end of the Capitol. I have found them quite indisposed to step up this program. I would be willing, however, to step up this particular figure to the entire budget request, insofar as I am concerned. In discussing the matter with the Senator from Nebraska [Mr. HRUSKA] and the Senator from Georgia [Mr. RUSSELL] -- who is in a sense one of the founders of this whole school lunch program -- I find that they are in accord with me that we could do this provided the Senate agreed to accept the amount of $10 million suggested by the amendment of the Senator from Michigan.
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, will the Senator yield?
Mr. HOLLAND. I will yield in just a moment.
We could do the same thing with reference to the suggested increase in the special pilot breakfast program in which we have already increased the appropriation of the other body and the appropriation of last year from $3.5 million to $4.5 million, as reported and recommended by our committee. We would be willing to increase that to the full budget amount of $6.5 million. But again, it would be without any great optimism as to what the result will be in conference.
I want to make it very clear that if the Senate accepts the amendment, as far as I am concerned, I am willing to stand for it in conference, and I am sure that is true with respect to the remainder of the committee.
As to the other items, I do not think it would be practical to increase them this year.
We have already stepped up the amount with respect to non-food assistance, which provides refrigerators, kitchen utensils, and other equipment of that type, from $750,000 as provided in last year's appropriation, and the same level approved this year by the House, to $2 million, which is an increase of nearly three times. We think that is as much as could be expected in any one year.
I hope that the Senator from Michigan will not insist on any increase of that amount. If he did, I would have to oppose it.
Likewise, on the item for aiding States in their administrative expense, which as I recall was $2,300,000 in the budget, we have not only run into adamant opposition at the other end of the Capitol on this, but also many members of our own committee, of whom the chairman of the subcommittee is one, feel that this is a very unfortunate provision because, in the first place, it is a very small item spread out over a great many States and, in the next place, it establishes a precedent of our supplying Federal funds to do something that certainly the States in which the schools are located are well able to do for themselves.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The time of the Senator has expired.
Mr. HOLLAND. Mr. President, I yield myself an additional 5 minutes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida is recognized for an additional 5 minutes.
Mr. HOLLAND. I hope, therefore, that the Senator from Michigan will not insist on any restoration in that particular field.
So far as the Senator from Florida is concerned, if the amendment can be confined to the first two items and if it can be confined to the reestablishment of the budgeted amounts on those two items, the Senator from Florida would be willing to recommend to the committee and to the Senate that the amendment be accepted and taken to conference subject to the understanding that the Senator from Florida will strongly insist upon the adoption of the amendment in conference, but without too great optimism as to the final success in that amount.
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, will the Senator yield?
Mr. HOLLAND. Mr. President, I yield to the Senator from Maine.
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I thank the distinguished Senator from Florida.
I interrupted him when I did because I will be conducting a one-man hearing in 5 minutes, and I think I ought to be there because the witnesses have come.
First of all, I appreciate very much the sensitivity which the Senator from Florida and his committee have shown to this problem in the bill which they have reported to the floor.
I listened last night to the colloquy between the distinguished Senator from Florida and the distinguished Senator from Michigan, and I concur wholeheartedly in the sentiments expressed by the Senator from Michigan on that score. And this is an especially sensitive problem at this time. We are aware of that because of the events occurring in this city. But I think that also across the country there is a wave of concern about the problem of hungry children and hungry people generally. I think we need to show all possible sensitivity to the problem at this moment.
I think the Senator from Florida in his action this morning toward the amendment of the Senator from Michigan -- which I was happy to sponsor along with other Senators -- is revealing that sensitivity. I think the compromise which is being worked out here reflects the Senator's concern over the practical legislative problem which the Senator has indicated.
Before I rushed off to the hearing, I wanted to indicate my feeling in respect to the trend of events that are occurring.
Mr. HOLLAND. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Maine for his gracious remarks, and I thank the Senator from Michigan for his gracious remarks.
There is apparently one of our brethren who does not understand this situation as it is understood by all of us who are here this morning. I note in the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD of several days ago a statement made by one of our Senators to the effect that the lunches for 1 million children were involved in this item. The Senators know that is not the case at all.
The Federal Government is itself the cost carrier of these new programs. These are not programs like the regular school lunch program in which the State and local governments have to carry the major portion of the cost and in which the Federal Government carries only 4.5 cents of the cost of the lunch.
This is a new experimental program of the Federal Government in an attempt to do something for children who are getting nothing at all and who probably need the lunches worse than any other group on the average that could be found. And it is only a few thousand lunches we are talking about -- which is enough for us all to be concerned about -- rather than a million lunches as was so generously mentioned by our brother who apparently did not understand the scope of the problem at all.
These two suggested increases have to do with programs entirely financed by the Federal Government, entirely directed to the bringing of some very poor children into the lunch program, partly for school lunches and partly for pilot breakfasts, and wholly at Federal cost. I want the RECORD to show that.
If there is any disposition to modify the amendment as I have suggested, I am told by the other side of the aisle, so ably represented by the Senator from Nebraska [Mr. HRUSKA], that he would have no objection to that course. And I am told by the grandfather of the school lunch program, the able senior Senator frorn Georgia [Mr. RUSSELL], that he would have no objection to it.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The time of the Senator has expired.
Mr. COOPER. Mr. President, will the Senator yield?
Mr. HOLLAND. Mr. President, I yield myself an additional 2 minutes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida is recognized for an additional 2 minutes.
Mr. COOPER. Mr. President, I am very pleased with the agreement that has been made concerning the amendment of the Senator from Michigan. Several years ago the Senator from Michigan [Mr. HART] and I introduced an amendment to provide the first funds for section II, and made some progress at that time. A similar objective has been attained today.
I am familiar with the problem not only because of its application in Kentucky, and particularly the eastern part of Kentucky.
I am glad to say that the school lunch program in Kentucky reaches over 60 percent of the children -- the sixth highest percentage of any State. It has been an effective program in Kentucky. It is larger in scope than the programs of almost all the metropolitan States, including the State of New York. But there is a problem for those people who are the least able to pay, with three or four or more children, who cannot meet even the charges that are required. The unfortunate result has been that those who are the neediest have been deprived at times of the lunch. I must say that I am very happy about this amendment.
I know the tremendous labors of the Senator from Florida [Mr. HOLLAND] in this field because I had the honor of serving with him on the Committee on Agriculture. I appreciate very much his action, and that of the Senator from Nebraska [Mr. HRUSKA], upon this amendment, in which I join, and which has been sponsored by the humane and able Senator from Michigan [Mr. HART].