Washington, D.C. – Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS) will chair a hearing of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee tomorrow, March 4, at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern) in room 216 Hart Senate Office Building to review the federal government's initiative in support of school lunch and school breakfast.

Note to editors: This hearing is expected to be the first of many platforms for discussion of the reauthorization of the 1966 Child Nutrition Act, and the National School Lunch Act. Among the federal nutrition programs to be examined are School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Summer Food Service Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Special Milk Program. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) is authorized through the end of the current fiscal year under the Child Nutrition Act to provide federal grant funds to states for monthly food packages and nutrition education for low-income mothers and young children. Also to be considered is authorization for federal spending for state administrative expenses associated with the operation of child nutrition meal service program and the nutrition education and training program.

** NOTE: Ms. Margie Green from Holly Springs, MS, will testify.

Panel I


Bellingham Public Schools
Bellingham, Washington - representing the American School Food Association and accompanied by Ms. Paula Cockwell, Manager of Nutrition Services at the Adams School District #14 in Littleton, Colorado; Ms. Margie Green, Food Service Director for Marshall County Schools in Holly Springs, Mississippi; Ms. Teresa Nece, Food Service Director in Des Moines, Iowa; and Mr. Marshall Matz, Counsel to the American School Food Service Association in Washington, DC

Panel II
Mr. Robert Greenstein, Executive Director
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Washington, District of Columbia

Panel III

Ms. Susan T. Borra, Immediate Past President
American Dietetic Association
Washington, District of Columbia

Mr. Robert J. Kemmery, Jr., Executive Director, Student Support Services
Baltimore County Public Schools
Towson, Maryland

Ms. Melanie Payne, Child Nutrition Director
Opelika, Alabama

Mr. Jerry Kozak, President and Chief Executive Officer
National Milk Producers Federation
Arlington, Virginia - on behalf of the National Milk Producers Federation and the International Dairy Foods Association

Mr. Dennis Hieman, Principal, Muscatine High School
Muscatine, Iowa