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 INTRODUCTION OF THE FAIRNESS FOR BREASTFEEDING MOTHERS ACT OF 2017” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E212 on Feb. 16, 2017.
The Department is primarily focused on food nutrition, with assistance programs making up 80 percent of its budget. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the Department implements too many regulations and restrictions and impedes the economy.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
THE INTRODUCTION OF THE FAIRNESS FOR BREASTFEEDING MOTHERS ACT OF 2017
_____
HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON
of the district of columbia
in the house of representatives
Thursday, February 16, 2017
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the Fairness for Breastfeeding Mothers Act of 2017, a bill that would require buildings that are either federally owned or leased to provide designated private and hygienic lactation spaces for nursing mothers. The bill was included in the Public Buildings Reform and Savings Act of 2016, which passed the House last Congress. For years, federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have encouraged breastfeeding. The benefits are so great that federal law now requires employers to provide a designated, non-
bathroom space for employees to pump breastmilk for their newborns, ensuring that new mothers would be able to continue this essential practice even after returning to work. My bill would extend this requirement to include not just employees, but visitors and guests to federal facilities across the nation.
In Washington, D.C. alone, millions of tourists visit federal sites, such as the Lincoln Memorial. Increasingly, families understand the unique benefits of breastfeeding, and visitors to these buildings who have newborns and babies should have a private space to breastfeed or pump. The benefits of breastfeeding are well-documented. Breastmilk contains antibodies and hormones that boost babies' immune systems, and studies have shown lower risks of asthma, diabetes, respiratory infections and other diseases among breastfed babies. Moreover, breastfeeding also has benefits for nursing mothers, who, research has shown, have lower risks of diabetes and certain forms of cancer. Given the significant public health benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and baby, already recognized in federal policy, my bill is a logical next step to ensure visitors to federal sites have access to clean, hygienic, and private spaces to nurse or pump.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill, which would provide access to designated lactation rooms for guests to federally owned or leased buildings.
____________________
