On Wednesday, First Lady Michelle Obama urged Congress to clear legislation this month requthorizing and expanding federal child-nutrition programs.

Authorization for the programs will expire Sept. 30 and include school lunches and breakfasts.

“”This bipartisan legislation supports critically needed investments to help millions of children get the nourishment they need to be healthy,” the first lady said during a speech in Slidell, LA. “The Senate has already acted. And I hope that the House of Representatives will do the same by the end of the month so that we can get it signed into law.”

The first lady was in Louisiana to launch the newest phase of her “Let’s Move” initiative to promote physical activity, improve school nutrition and reduce child obesity. She called the proposed policy changes in the child-nutrition reauthorization bills key tools for providing more nutritionally balanced meals to schoolchildren.

In particular, House and Senate bills would for the first time give the Agriculture Department the authority to set nutrition standards for all foods sold on school campuses—including vending machine items.

The Senate passed its version of the bill (S 3307) on Aug. 5 by voice vote after the chairwoman and ranking member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee agreed to end in 2013 a temporary increase in food stamp benefits to save $2 billion to partially offset $4.5 billion in new spending on child nutrition over 10 years.

The House could take up the Senate bill and clear it for the president’s signature, but more than 100 Democrats have asked Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) not to because they oppose the food stamp offset.

The House could also vote on the bill (HR 5504) that the House Education and Labor Committee approved by 32-13 on July 15.

House Education and Labor Chairman George Miller (D-CA) is still working on finding offsets, after the Congressional Budget Office said that without offsets the House bill would add $6.5 billion to the deficit over 10 years.

“The first lady continues to show an unwavering and steadfast commitment to transforming children’s health,” Miller said. “We both know that there is an urgent need to improve the quality and availability of healthy meals—and that our children’s nutritional needs don’t stop when the school day is over. When we come back to Washington this month, it is my goal that we will fund and pass child nutrition legislation that supports the first lady’s goals, recognizing that childhood obesity and hunger are uniquely tied.”