Federal funding bill impasse blocks access to healthy food for Kentucky kids
Congress recently passed another temporary funding measure to keep the federal government operating for another month. This is no way to run a country. Short-term, stopgap “continuing resolutions” have negative consequences for our state and for national security.
Here in Kentucky, 72 percent of young people ages 17-24 are ineligible for the military because they are too poorly educated, too overweight, or have a record of crime or drug abuse.
In Fayette County, nearly one-third of adults over age 20 have obesity, according to the County Health Rankings from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
A solution to the rising rate of obesity is to provide children with access to fresh and nutritious foods.
Over half a million Kentucky K-12 students participated in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) in Fiscal Year 2018. The NSLP serves as a crucial access point to fresh and nutritious food for many Kentucky children, some of whom may struggle to access healthy meals outside of school. The cost of providing meals for Kentucky students has consistently risen year over year, which is why both the U.S. House and Senate have proposed increasing funding for the NSLP in Fiscal Year 2020.
However, Congress has been unable to pass FY 2020 funding bills, preventing much needed NSLP dollars from reaching Kentucky schools.
Funding for NSLP will continue at FY19 levels during the continuing resolution, but we know that last year’s funding will not be sufficient to meet the current needs of Kentucky’s schools. If Congress continues to operate under stopgap funding, school districts may look to cut costs, which may result in reduced access to fresh and nutritious food for children in our state.
Past funding disruptions show that fresh fruits and vegetables are often the first foods to be cut by school districts seeking stretch their budgets. These are precisely the foods that need to be prioritized in order to establish healthy eating habits and fight obesity in Kentucky’s kids.
We recently discussed the importance of on-time federal funding with Kentucky’s members of Congress from both sides of the aisle, including Rep. John Yarmuth (D-3rd District), Chairman of the House Budget Committee, Rep. Hal Rogers (R-5th District), former Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, and Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-2nd District). As two retired military leaders, we discussed how funding decisions for federal nutrition programs like the National School Lunch Program support our national security by building a stronger generation of young Americans.
Kentuckians understand the importance of a strong, effective military for our nation’s security. As the home to key military installations, including Fort Knox and Fort Campbell, as well as the U.S. Army’s Recruiting Command, Cadet Command and Human Resources Command, our state knows how important it is for federal lawmakers to make timely funding decisions so that our men and women in uniform have the resources they need to carry out their missions.
The same is true for the critical programs that support the health of our nation’s children. Funding disruptions reduce the effectiveness of both defense and non-defense programs, and ultimately these disruptions undermine our national security.
We urge federal lawmakers to end the stopgap funding measures and support increased funding for the National School Lunch program. This increased funding will help reverse the growing trend of childhood obesity and ensure that youth in Kentucky are healthy and prepared for success in the military or any other career they choose.
Michael Davidson and Robert Silverthorn are retired U.S. Army Major Generals who live in Louisville and are members of Mission: Readiness, an organization of 750 retired admirals and generals strengthening national security by ensuring kids stay in school, stay fit, and stay out of trouble so they are eligible for military service or any other career path.