GOP Blocks Child Nutrition Bill

House Republicans have blocked a bill to give school meals to more needy children and to make those meals healthier. The $4.5 billion child nutrition bill—which Michelle Obama has lobbied for as part of her campaign against childhood obesity—was stalled by a procedural move that Democrats said was an effort to kill the bill completely, AP reports. An identical bill has already been passed by the Senate.

Republicans say the bill, which would give the government the power to decide what kinds of food are sold in schools, is too expensive and is an example of government overreach. "It's not about making our children healthy and active," the top Republican on the House Education and Labor Committee said. "We all want to see our children healthy and active. This is about spending and the role of government and the size of government—a debate about whether we're listening to our constituents or not."
(More Michelle Obama stories.)