HOUSTON, Texas — As the federal government continues to exert influence over public schools, Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert has introduced a bill that would limit the feds from mandating which foods schools must serve. The bill is called the “EDIBLE Act.”
“EDIBLE Act” stands for “Eliminate Dogmatic Interference by Bureaucratic Lunch Extremists Act.” Under the bill, the federal government could only require schools to serve certain foods if those foods are completely paid for with federal funds.
The bill would cut waste in schools, as oftentimes cafeterias are forced to provide large amounts of food that are ultimately thrown out.
In a statement obtained by Breitbart Texas, Gohmert said, “The best thing the federal government could do, regarding the federal food mandates for students, is completely drop the demands. It is grossly unfair for unelected bureaucrats or spouses of elected officials to mandate what must be eaten and not eaten where they have never lived, resided or eaten.”
He continued, “When cafeteria workers have shown me the list of allowed foods, I was shocked that there were so many foods that I had never even heard of as well as foods I did not eat as an east Texas student. Now as an east Texas adult it is exceedingly clear that the best control is local control, and that is especially true of students’ food.’ Cafeteria workers all over east Texas have complained about the massive amount of food they are federally required to cook and throw away. Sanity must return to local school menus.”
First Lady Michelle Obama has been at the forefront of expanding the federal government’s influence in school cafeterias.
Michelle Obama, along with the Department of Agriculture, attempted to push strict menus on schools across the country. Many cafeteria workers and students spoke out against the mandated food, complaining they were not satisfactory.
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