U.S. Reps. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Glenn Thompson, R-Penn., and Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., are blasting the Biden administration and the USDA for proposing to ban chocolate milk for elementary and middle school students.
In recent statements, the GOP lawmakers criticized the potential ban as “brazen government overreach” that is “totally unacceptable.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has claimed it is considering instituting a ban on chocolate milk and other flavored dairy drinks for the sake of the health of elementary and middle school students.
DEMOCRATS DEMAND UNIVERSAL FREE BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER, AND A SNACK FOR KIDS IN SCHOOL
A decision on the ban will be made early next year, and if enacted, would go into effect for the 2025-2026 school year.
Conservative lawmakers have slammed the potential ban in recent statements. Stefanik, whose opposition to a similar chocolate milk ban in New York City helped compel Mayor Eric Adams to shelve it, grilled the USDA’s ambitions as “totally unacceptable.”
In her statement, Stefanik claimed, “I will always lead the fight to save chocolate milk and protect our Upstate New York and the North Country dairy farmers. When New York City Mayor Eric Adams tried to ban chocolate milk, I led the successful effort to fight back and won on behalf of families and farmers.”
Thompson, who is the Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, claimed, “First it was your gas stove, and now it is your child’s school meal. President Biden’s proposal to ban chocolate milk is another example of brazen government overreach.”
He added, “I’m proud to stand with America’s dairy farmers against Biden’s intrusion into our school cafeterias. Chocolate milk is a calcium-rich childhood favorite, and it is here to stay!”
And Foxx blasted the proposal, saying, “The Biden administration believes that the federal government knows best in everything. As a result, we continue to see this administration impose top-down regulations that do more harm than good. The contents of school meals are best left to local professionals and the cafeteria staff who care for America’s students every day and know what they will eat.”