The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“THE DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR AMERICANS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Senate section on pages S12367-S12368 on Aug. 11, 1995.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
THE DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR AMERICANS
Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, last year Congress reauthorized and improved several important nutrition programs under the National School Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act. The legislation strengthened access to good nutrition for some of our Nation's most vulnerable children. I was pleased to be a cosponsor of the bill.
As part of that legislation, Congress directed the Department of Agriculture to bring schools into compliance with specified ``dietary guidelines'' by the 1996-97 school year rather than the 1998-99 school year, as originally stipulated by USDA. These guidelines establish a 30-percent limit on daily dietary fat, and a 10-percent limit on saturated fat.
Compliance with the dietary guidelines will have a real impact on the health of children who participate in the school meals program. It should be aggressively pursued. At the same time, however, I appreciate the effort it takes to implement such an extensive rule as well as the importance of providing schools sufficient time to comply with it. I realize that not all schools may be able to comply with the dietary guidelines by 1996.
In an effort to make the 1996-97 school year date achievable for compliance, Public Law 103-448 provides that schools may elect to use a food-based system of menu planning and preparation. It also offers an exemption from the requirement. Schools that encounter difficulty with the 1996 compliance date will be able to apply for a waiver from their own State departments of education. If compliance is truly problematic, the State may grant a 2-year extension.
Our objective is not to force compliance at any cost. Rather, it is to encourage aggressiveness on this initiative and make clear that Congress is serious about delivering healthy meals to our youth. Schools that have the ability to implement the dietary guidelines before 1998 should do so.
One organization that has been particularly closely involved in the development of these regulations is the American School Food Service Association [ASFSA]. ASFSA members are on the front lines of the effort to provide nutritious meals to school children.
On July 19, 1995, the ASFSA executive board passed a resolution that emphasizes the organization's commitment to encouraging and assisting schools in the implementation of the dietary guidelines and that underscores ASFSA's view of the importance of USDA providing maximum flexibility for local food authorities in meeting the guidelines. I commend ASFSA's commitment to promoting timely implementation of the dietary guidelines and support their call for flexibility, as long as that flexibility serves the objectives outlined above.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the ASFSA executive board resolution be printed in the Record at this point.
There being no objection, the resolution was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
Whereas: the Dietary Guidelines for Americans represent a consensus of scientific thought on dietary advice for the general population, including children;
Whereas: diet has been identified as a risk factor for five of the ten leading causes of death in Americans, including coronary heart disease and some types of cancer;
Whereas: Healthy People 2000 established the implementation of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans in at least ninety percent (90%) of the schools by the year 2000 as a national goal;
Whereas: the American School For Food Service Association has supported the Dietary Guidelines for Americans since their inception in 1980;
Whereas: the Healthy Meals for Healthy Americans Act (P.L. 103-448) requires schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program to implement the Dietary Guidelines for Americans; and
Whereas: the Congress of the United States is considering legislation that would reduce the amount of federal financial support provided to school nutrition programs: Therefore be it
Resolved: That ASFSA shall make its best effort to encourage and assist schools to implement the Dietary Guidelines for Americans; and be it finally
Resolved: That the ASFSA shall seek from the U.S. Department of Agriculture the maximum flexibility on how local food authorities may achieve the Dietary Guidelines for Americans so as to minimize any cost impact associated with the implementation of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
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