Rep. Huelskamp praises student protest of USDA calorie rules

Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.) joined Kansas high school students on Wednesday who were protesting the Department of Agriculture's calorie-restriction guidelines for taxpayer-subsidized school lunches, and said kids affected by these guidelines are learning firsthand the meaning of excessive government control.

"I am so honored and proud to represent Sharon Springs students and their teachers in Congress," Huelskamp said, according to WIBW in Kansas.

"They refuse to let a top-down, heavy-handed federal government dictate what should be a day-to-day local decision: what goes on to the cafeteria tray," he said. "At a very young age, these students are learning first-hand the consequences of what happens when government becomes too powerful. But, they are also learning about the power of activism, and how an average person can transform a debate and influence public policy."

Huelskamp and other Republicans have protested USDA guidelines that say taxpayer-funded meals should be limited to 650 calories up to fifth grade, and increased slightly to 850 calories for high schoolers.

Earlier this month, Huelskamp challenged USDA to live by its own dietary guidelines, and pointed out that USDA cafeterias in Washington serve all sorts of food that USDA is trying to scrap for kids, such as sausage, waffles, pancakes and scrapple.

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