Vilsack backs away from comments about cutting farm programs to fund it

By JERRY HAGSTROM
For the Capital Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has reaffirmed the Obama administration's plans to ask Congress for an additional $1 billion per year for child nutrition programs, but backed down from previous statements that the money should come from cutting other USDA programs.

In a telephone news conference Friday, Oct. 23, on the administration's child nutrition program priorities, Vilsack said the administration still believes the programs need an additional $1 billion per year so that more children can participate in the programs and the food offerings can be improved to include, for example, more fruits and vegetables.

But on a potential source of the $1 billion in the federal budget, Vilsack said he "will work with Congress and the administration so that we do this in a proper way."

President Obama's fiscal 2010 budget had proposed the $1 billion per year increase in child nutrition and programs and phasing out farm subsidies for farms with more than $500,000 in sales.

In March Vilsack urged anti-hunger advocates to support that cut as a way to pay for the increase in child nutrition. But both anti-hunger advocates and farm groups, which had formed a coalition to increase food stamp benefits as part of the 2008 Farm Bill, declined to support him.

After Vilsack's news conference, key anti-hunger and farm advocates praised Vilsack's approach. Food Research Action Center President Jim Weill, which lobbies in favor of improvements in the food stamp and school meal programs, said he was pleased that administration officials "remain committed to finding the $1 billion per year ... ."

American Farm Bureau Federation lobbyist Mary Kay Thatcher said that, while Farm Bureau is worried that the administration will propose cuts in farm programs, the group will not oppose an increase in the budget for child nutrition.

Congress failed to reauthorize the programs before they expired Sept. 30 and had to pass a one-year extension of the programs as part of the fiscal 2010 agriculture appropriations bill. Congress and the administration now appear ready to work on child nutrition programs early in calendar year 2010.

Weill said that congressional aides working on nutrition issues have said that congressional leaders want to pass the child nutrition bill before Congress considers a new budget resolution next spring.

That budget resolution will reflect the increased costs of social programs in the recession and could make it harder to increase the budget for nutrition programs.

Vilsack said the administration will propose a mix of program changes to increase access for school lunch, breakfast, after-school and summer-feeding programs and to make the meals healthier.

He noted that first lady Michelle Obama, will continue to promote nutrition generally and improvements in the school nutrition program.

Freelance writer Jerry Hagstrom is based in Washington, D.C. E-mail: jerryzhagstrom@hotmail.com.