Dear Fellow Hoosiers,

Thank you for the opportunity to update you on the work of the 114th Congress. I trust this finds you and your family well, as we work together to bring Hoosier common sense to Washington.

For daily updates, please take a moment to "Like" my Facebook page by clicking here  or follow me on Twitter if you prefer  @ToddRokita.

In this week's Rokita Report

• What They're Saying on Child Nutrition Reauthorization
• Rokita Reading - American Exceptionalism
• Public Events in Indiana's 4th

What They're Saying on Child Nutrition Reauthorization

The Improving Child Nutrition Education Act, which I introduced, continues to garner support from multiple outside experts.  The bill provides reforms to wasteful provisions of a law enacted in 2010 that provide blanket subsidies to school districts instead of targeting assistance.  Focusing on the needy kids, my bill would provide better breakfasts and summer meals to children currently eligible for free and reduced lunches without changing their eligibility requirements.

Here is why Americans across the country are providing their strong support for H.R. 5003:

Neil Bradley with the Conservative Reform Network 
“The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that such a change would result in savings of approximately $1.5 billion over 10 years.  These savings could be reinvested in child nutrition programs for students who are truly needy.

“It is important to note that such a change would not prevent a single student, who meets the standard income eligibility requirements in current law, from continuing to qualify for free meals.”

Robert Doar, Morgridge Fellow in Poverty Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, in the Hill 
“When I was a social services commissioner in New York City, I played a role in administering these critical elements of the safety net.  When the National Commission on Hunger (of which I was a co-chair) toured the country, I again saw firsthand the value of the child nutrition programs in reducing hunger, improving academic performance, and helping children develop.  However, these programs also have flaws that call for incremental improvements.  To his credit, Rep. Todd Rokita (R-IN) appears to recognize many of these problems and has put forward the Improving Child Nutrition and Education Act (H.R. 5003) to address them.”

Julie Kelly and Jeff Stier in the Federalist 
“Republicans are right to rein in this inefficient and costly program while there’s still time.  The USDA concedes that CEP is the ‘main driver for the expected participation increase in school meals.’  But the scheme doesn’t ensure increased participation comes from those it was meant for—the needy. CEP has led to a 9 percent increase in the school breakfast program and a 5 percent increase in the school lunch program in its first two years.  The cost of these programs has jumped nearly 10 percent from 2015, with a projected budget of more than $23 billion in 2017.”

National School Board Action Center
“The National School Boards Association (NSBA), representing more than 90,000 local school board members across the nation, working with and through our state associations, applauds efforts to reauthorize the expired Child Nutrition Act.  School districts and schools are on the front lines serving lunch and/or breakfast to 30 million children.  Many districts have struggled to meet the new standards and other requirements since the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act was enacted in 2010.”

The School Superintendents Association 
“AASA, The School Superintendents Association, is pleased to support the Improving Child Nutrition and Education Act of 2016 (H.R. 5003).  Providing healthy meals and snack options for school children is critical.  AASAs’ members are proud of their strong nutrition programs and are looking for a reauthorization that provides districts with increased flexibility from certain elements of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act.  The nutrition study, as prescribed in this bill, takes the politics out of the standards and keeps the focus where it belongs: on what is best for our nation’s schools and students.”

American Farm Bureau Federation & American Frozen Food Institute 
“One of the most effective ways of promoting healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime is to ensure school-aged children eat more fruits and vegetables.  Expanding the program to allow frozen, canned and dried fruits and vegetables in addition to fresh will provide school nutritionists with an affordable option for increasing the variety of healthy fruits and vegetables schools can offer year-round, thus furthering the program’s ability to promote improved childhood nutrition and serve more children.”

Steve Austin with Red Gold, Inc. 
“Taxpayer dollars should support local jobs over jobs in Mexico, from where much fresh produce is imported during winter months.  United States food processors have the safest and most rigorous food safety standards in the world and American school children deserve foods produced under those high standards.  American food producers make hundreds of dried, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables which meet or exceed nutritional guidelines established by the program as outlined in USDA’s Food Buying Guide.”

International Dairy Foods Association 
“Dairy leaders applaud the House Education and the Workforce Committee for including key dairy provisions in the Improving Child Nutrition and Education Act of 2016, which was approved today by the committee.”

House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline 
“A lot has changed since these programs were last reauthorized in December 2010.  Those who were here then will recall that a massive expansion of the federal role in child nutrition was jammed through Congress in the final days of the Democrat Majority.  What had always been a bipartisan issue, descended into a partisan one.”

Rokita Reading - American Exceptionalism 
A clickable offering of books and articles that I've read recently and highly recommend, as we strive together to "Keep the Republic."

This year, on Monday, we will celebrate the 240th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.  This document laid the foundation for American values.  To preserve those values, our Founding Fathers wrote our Constitution, which sets the best vision for self-governance that the world has ever seen.

This week's Rokita Reading is an article titled Are We Really That Exceptional? by Dan Schneider that first appeared in Townhall.  Dan is the Executive Director of the American Conservative Union (ACU) which is the nation's oldest and largest grassroots conservative organization.  The ACU organizes the annual CPAC gathering.  I recently received the ACU's Conservative Excellence Award for my conservative voting record.  After 45 years of providing ratings for members of Congress, the ACU has completed a legislative scorecard for the fifty states.

ACU has taken a comprehensive analysis of legislation across all fifty states and looks for proposals recognizing "the fundamental principle which truly makes America exceptional" that "sovereignty resides in the person."  Our country is exceptional as the greatest, most free nation the world has ever known that recognizes that power comes from the people.  For those who believe that a large, unlimited, and all-powerful federal government will make better decisions for us than we can make for ourselves, ideas like natural rights, self-government, economic freedom, and a charter document that protects all of us are a huge threat.  Those are the ideas and values that our Founding Fathers gave us and those are the ideas that we have to preserve.

This Fourth of July, I hope that you will join me in recognizing the unique gift that is our country.

Public Events in Indiana's 4th

This week, I hosted a Congress on Your Corner and reading of the Declaration of Independence in Lafayette.  These events are where I get my marching orders and hear directly from fellow Hoosiers on what issues matter to them.

Great turnout at Rep. Rokita's Lafayette Congress on Your Corner.

In Lafayette, I heard about the Second Amendment, climate change, immigration, and more.  I let attendees know that I remain firmly committed to preserving our Second Amendment right to self-defense and do not support depriving individuals of these rights without due process, as I explained in last week's Rokita Report.  Regarding climate change, it is important to use the best available science on the subject and look at all of the causes of any climate change. Furthermore, over 80% of Hoosier homes receive their electricity from fossil fuels, which enormously improve our conditions.  To reject fossil fuels would drive up electricity costs for Hoosiers and roll back our ability to use technological advances.  On immigration, I believe strongly that we must respect our existing laws and I do not support the President's unilateral decrees.

As a reminder, on Monday, I will be hosting a Town Hall in Brownsburg.

Brownsburg Town Hall Lawn
31 North Green Street
July 4, 2016 from 12:00pm to 1:00pm
After the 4th of July Parade 
Map

Thank you for your continued interest in Congress and for supporting my efforts to bring Hoosier common sense to Washington. Take care.  

Sincerely,
 
Todd Rokita