Whole Milk For Healthy Kids Act Vote Expected

Please take a few minutes and call your representative in Washington today!

Vote Yes for Whole Milk for Healthy Kids, H.R. 1147!

If you are a farmer or work in the dairy industry, your voice does matter and will help us get this bill passed!

During the American Dairy Coalition virtual annual meeting last week, attendees learned from U.S. House Ag Chairman G.T. Thompson — the author and champion of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act — that H.R. 1147, is expected to come to the floor for a full House vote December 13 or 14.

The bill had 135 bipartisan cosponsors from 44 states when it passed the Education and Workforce Committee on a bipartisan 22 to 13 vote in June. However, to pass the full House, 218 votes are needed. In fact, we want to see overwhelming passage beyond the necessary 218 — to propel momentum in the Senate chamber for their version of the bill.

Last evening, Dec. 11, the House Rules Committee resolved to present the bill under structured rule. Only the three amendments contained in their report will be considered during floor debate.

Even though it has broad bipartisan support in the House, Thompson said last week that an energetic response from the grassroots will go a long way to promote an overwhelming and resounding ‘yes’ vote — across the board – to bring back the option of whole and 2% (flavored and unflavored) milk in schools.

ADC virtual annual meeting attendees also learned that the Senate Ag Committee is prepared to take up their version of Whole Milk for Healthy Kids, S. 1957, which currently has 11 Senate sponsors from 9 states. Contacting Senators to sign on as cosponsors is also a way you can help!

Please contact your Representative in the U.S. House, even if they are already a cosponsor, to make sure they are present and vote ‘yes’ when HR 1147 comes to the floor as early as TOMORROW, December 13.

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Before H.R. 1147 passed the House Rules Committee 8 to 4 on Monday, Dec. 11, Rep. Thompson highlighted the fact that students deserve school lunches that are both enjoyable and nutritious. During the debate in Rules Committee, he cited a study in a Pennsylvania school that mirrors national trends showing that the percentage of students that are overweight or obese has risen from 39% in 2008 to 52% in 2021. These and other data, demonstrate the anti-milkfat approach has not helped, and may actually have harmed, while turning an entire generation away from milk. He noted the science shows milkfat to be neutral or beneficial to human health, and he noted that the fuller fat milk is a choice many students prefer and would drink, thereby benefiting nutritionally from milk’s 13 essential nutrients while at the same time reducing food waste in schools.

An attempt to add a late amendment that would make non-dairy options part of the at-large school offerings was voted down 8 to 4 by the Rules Committee. Students can already receive other beverage options with a note stating the reason, such as lactose intolerance.

Lactose intolerance was mentioned in several amendments, and there is support for providing lactose-free dairy milk choices at school meals. However, an amendment to this effect muddies the waters between lactose-free dairy milk and non-dairy options. Furthermore, there are no prohibitions on lactose-free dairy milk in schools like there are for whole and 2% milk, and non-dairy options are available for students who present a note about their dietary restrictions.

The urgency at this point is to keep H.R. 1147 clean – to bring back the banned options of fuller fat milk, containing those valuable fat-soluble vitamins and unbeatable flavor and satiety, and to preserve the ability of schools to offer flavored milk in the face of USDA’s proposed rule that could ban flavored milk in elementary schools.

A list of other amendments was debated in the rules committee and the validity of the bill was litigated again between Rep. G.T. Thompson, its author, and Rep. Bobby Scott, its primary opposed.

The three amendments made “in order” for floor debate include:

• The revised amendment by Rep. Luna of Florida stating the whole milk can be either organic or non-organic.
• The amendment by Rep. Mills of Florida that would prohibit schools participating in the school lunch program from purchasing or offering milk produced by China state-owned enterprises.
• The amendment by Rep. Tiffany of Wisconsin and Rep. Vasquez of New Mexico would prevent the USDA from issuing any rule that bans varieties of milk covered in this bill, including chocolate milk.

H.R. 1147 in its own right – without amendments – not only brings back the previously banned choice of whole and 2% milk, but states this as unflavored and flavored, giving protection to the continued availability of flavored milk – including flavored milk with more of the natural fat retained, which consequently means less sugar is added.