Presidential Document2023-22664
National School Lunch Week, 2023
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
October 12, 2023
Signed
October 6, 2023
Issuing agencies
Executive Office of the President
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 196 (Thursday, October 12, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 196 (Thursday, October 12, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 70567-70568]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-22664]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2023 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 70567]]
Proclamation 10646 of October 6, 2023
National School Lunch Week, 2023
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
I have often said that children are the kite strings
that keep our national ambitions aloft. During National
School Lunch Week, we recognize that the health and
well-being of children is a national priority and that
every student should have access to healthy meals. We
also reaffirm our support of the National School Lunch
Program and all school nutrition professionals
nationwide for the work they do to feed 30 million
children each school day.
School lunches have long been a lifeline for so many
students across our country. For all families,
including those that qualify for free or reduced-price
school lunch, parents have the peace of mind of knowing
there is a healthy, balanced meal available to their
children. And children, fueled by their school lunches,
can more effectively focus and learn in the classroom.
In fact, studies show that nutritious school lunches
may increase academic performance and reduce the
likelihood of childhood obesity. And we know these
school lunches are especially important for lower-
income children, children of color, and children living
in rural areas or territories, since they are less
likely to have access to food outlets that sell
healthier foods.
In order to build a stronger and healthier Nation, my
Administration has made the well-being of American
families and our children a priority. Our American
Rescue Plan expanded the Child Tax Credit, which helped
keep food on the table for millions of families during
the pandemic, slashed child poverty by nearly 50
percent, and cut food insufficiency for families with
children by more than 25 percent. My Administration
also modernized the Thrifty Food Plan for the first
time since 1975, making sure that the millions of
families receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program benefits can afford a nutritious, practical,
cost-effective diet. And last year, I convened the
first White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and
Health in over 50 years, bringing together advocates,
food companies, health care providers, and leaders from
across the Government and Federal agencies. We also
released a national strategy to end hunger and reduce
diet-related diseases by 2030. This strategy includes
the goal of expanding access to healthy, free school
meals to 9 million more kids in the next decade, a
major step toward free healthy school meals for every
student.
We have already made significant progress. By making
permanent the American Rescue Plan program that gives
families money to buy groceries in the summer months
when school is not in session, we are fulfilling our
commitment to ensure each American child has a
nutritious meal every day. We are also giving more
schools the option to make healthy school meals
available to all students at no cost to their families
during the school year. And we are continuing to
support schools so they can cook more meals from
scratch and purchase more food from local farmers and
ranchers. That means children will have healthier
meals, and farmers and ranchers will be able to
participate in reliable markets, strengthening rural
economies. I also continue to call on the Congress to
restore my enhanced Child Tax Credit, which helped
millions of families afford healthy food at home.
[[Page 70568]]
In America, no child should ever go to bed hungry--
without healthy food, our children cannot thrive. And
no child's future should be determined by where they
were born or their family's income. During National
School Lunch Week, we recognize that helping our
children fulfill their highest potential begins with
access to healthy and nutritious meals at school. And
we honor all the farmers, ranchers, teachers, school
nutrition professionals, and staff who make these
lunches possible and nourish the soul of America.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of
the United States of America, by virtue of the
authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws
of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 8
through October 14, 2023, as National School Lunch
Week. I call upon all Americans to recognize and
commemorate all those who operate the National School
Lunch Program with activities that raise awareness of
the steadfast efforts in supporting the health and
well-being of our Nation's children.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
eighth.
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2023-22664
Filed 10-11-23; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on October 12, 2023.
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