Michelle Obama: Don't 'play politics with our kids' health'
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
On Tuesday, First Lady Michelle Obama had some tough words for Republicans attempting to weaken nutritional standards for schools. "The last thing we can afford to do right now is play politics with our kids' health," she said. "Now is not the time to roll back everything we have worked for."
Obama made her remarks during a meeting with school nutrition officials, USA Today reports. She criticized House Republicans for proposing an Agriculture Department appropriations bill that would give certain schools a one-year waiver to exempt them from new federal nutrition standards for school lunches. The rules call for more whole grains and set limits on fat, calories, sugar, and sodium.
"This is unacceptable," Obama said. "It's unacceptable to me not just as first lady, but also as a mother." The bill could be passed as early as this week, but if it makes it through the House, it would almost certainly face opposition in the Senate.
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Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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