‘COME AND TAKE IT’: Congressman Introduces Amendment to Ensure ‘Access to Delicious and Nutritious’ Chocolate Milk
Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI) utilized a “Come and Take It” chocolate milk sign while introducing an amendment to the 2024 Agriculture and FDA Spending bill on Tuesday which would ensure children retain “access to delicious and nutritious” flavored milks.
During an House debate for the bill on Tuesday, Tiffany — a member of the Congressional Dairy Farmer Caucus — displayed an altered version of the “Come and Take It” flag which featured a carton of chocolate milk instead of a canon.
“Mr. Speaker, my bipartisan amendment ensures that none of the funds made available by this bill will go towards funding a rule that will ban flavored milk, like chocolate milk, in schools,” the congressman declared. “This would ensure that all types and flavors of milk are available to school children.”
He continued:
This summer, it was reported that the USDA is considering banning chocolate milk from elementary and middle schools. USDA issued a proposed rule in February that would set new nutrition standards for school meals. If implemented, the new standards proposed could limit the amount of flavored milk, like chocolate and strawberry, in high schools, while children in elementary and middle schools would be restricted to a variety of unflavored milk. This rule would affect roughly 30 million students who participate in the school meal programs.
According to the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, removing flavored milk from schools resulted in a 62% to 63% reduction in milk consumption by kids in kindergarten through fifth grade, as well as a 50% reduction in sixth to eighth grades.
Tiffany concluded, “Milk is full of rich nutrients that support bone growth and development, and millions of children enjoy drinking it. We should not be funding rules that would limit our children’s access to delicious and nutritious products like milk. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this bipartisan amendment.”
Watch above via C-SPAN.
