{"id":1937352,"date":"2023-05-24T20:29:31","date_gmt":"2023-05-25T00:29:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-in-the-swamp-should-take-on-the-real-culture-wars-not-bidens-war-on-chocolate-milk\/"},"modified":"2023-05-24T20:37:32","modified_gmt":"2023-05-25T00:37:32","slug":"republicans-in-the-swamp-should-take-on-the-real-culture-wars-not-bidens-war-on-chocolate-milk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-in-the-swamp-should-take-on-the-real-culture-wars-not-bidens-war-on-chocolate-milk\/","title":{"rendered":"GOP in Swamp: Focus on Real Culture Wars, Not Biden&#8217;s &#8216;Chocolate Milk War&#8217;."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frepublicans-in-the-swamp-should-take-on-the-real-culture-wars-not-bidens-war-on-chocolate-milk%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1937352&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Republicans Fight to Keep Chocolate Milk in Schools<\/h2>\n<div class=\"article-content\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>As Americans grow increasingly unhealthy and overweight, Republicans have better places to aim their fire than the Biden administration\u2019s necessary proposal to limit sugary chocolate milk consumption in schools.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>While Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy spars with the White House on the debt ceiling, the No. 3 lawmaker in GOP leadership is waging another crusade. House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, whose Upstate New York district attracts big money from Big Dairy, is leading the charge against changes in federal nutrition standards that threaten chocolate milk in public school cafeterias.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-213724790\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div  class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-2e69b7433f6d334e08baf95691624efa fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-2e69b7433f6d334e08baf95691624efa\"><\/div>\n<p>\u201cElise Stefanik, Republicans Push Back On Biden\u2019s War On Chocolate Milk,\u201d ran the weekend <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2023\/05\/20\/elise-stefanik-republicans-push-back-on-bidens-war-on-chocolate-milk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">headline<\/a> from Breitbart.<\/p>\n<p>The paper outlined the GOP effort to thwart a new proposal from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) aimed at reducing childhood sugar consumption. In February, the USDA issued a new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.federalregister.gov\/documents\/2023\/02\/07\/2023-02102\/child-nutrition-programs-revisions-to-meal-patterns-consistent-with-the-2020-dietary-guidelines-for\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">rule<\/a>, with one of its proposed options threatening a ban on flavored milk in elementary and middle school with a limit on chocolate and strawberry flavors in high school.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis approach would reduce exposure to added sugars and would promote the more nutrient-dense choice of unflavored milk for young children when their tastes are being formed,\u201d reads the agency proposal.<\/p>\n<p>Federal law requires the USDA to develop K-12 nutrition standards in line with the nation\u2019s dietary guidelines. The agency recently placed a cap on added sugars, limiting them to no more than 10 percent of calories. A government <a href=\"https:\/\/fns-prod.azureedge.us\/sites\/default\/files\/resource-files\/AddedSugarsinSchoolMeals.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">report<\/a> from May last year found about 17 percent of calories in school breakfasts and 11 percent of calories in lunches were added sugars. Flavored milk was the primary culprit, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-in-the-swamp-should-take-on-the-real-culture-wars-not-bidens-war-on-chocolate-milk\/\" title=\"GOP in Swamp: Focus on Real Culture Wars, Not Biden's 'Chocolate Milk War'.\">fat-free flavored milk contributing \u201c29 percent<\/a> of the added sugars in breakfasts.\u201d<\/p>\n<div  class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-b8f101a4c391631839f24b6401441c2e fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-b8f101a4c391631839f24b6401441c2e\"><\/div>\n<p>Republicans on Capitol Hill are taking a stand against the new guidelines, framing them as an episode of federal overreach. Stefanik proposed a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.govtrack.us\/congress\/bills\/118\/hr819\/cosponsors\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">bill<\/a> with nine Republican cosponsors to counter the bureaucratic measure and pledged Thursday to \u201cdo everything in my power to stop these efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen New York City Mayor Eric Adams tried to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/just-ban-happiness-twitter-destroys-usda-over-school-chocolate-milk-ban-proposal\/\" title=\"Twitter slams USDA for proposing school chocolate milk ban, calls for happiness to be allowed.\">ban chocolate milk<\/a>, I led the successful effort to fight back and won on behalf of families and farmers,\u201d Stefanik said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/stefanik.house.gov\/2023\/5\/stefanik-releases-statement-in-response-to-usda-s-potential-chocolate-milk-ban\">press release<\/a>. \u201cNow, Joe Biden is embracing this Far Left radical proposal to ban chocolate milk.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stefanik\u2019s payout from the agriculture industry? Nearly $150,000, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/members-of-congress\/elise-stefanik\/industries?cid=N00035523&#038;cycle=2022\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">according<\/a> to OpenSecrets, with more than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/industries\/summary.php?ind=A04&#038;cycle=2022&#038;recipdetail=H&#038;mem=N\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">$17,000<\/a> from the dairy lobby.<\/p>\n<p>Pennsylvania Rep. Glenn Thompson, who chairs the House Agriculture Committee and is a cosponsor of Stefanik\u2019s legislation, also framed the debate as an item in the culture wars.<\/p>\n<div  class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-5d32e5dbf3a8c6bf8bab8377c67e5cd5 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-5d32e5dbf3a8c6bf8bab8377c67e5cd5\"><\/div>\n<p>\u201cFirst it was your gas stove, and now it is your child\u2019s school meal. President Biden\u2019s proposal to ban chocolate milk is another example of brazen government overreach,\u201d Thompson <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/gop-lawmakers-slam-biden-admin-proposing-chocolate-milk-ban-schools-brazen-government-overreach\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told<\/a> Fox News. \u201cI\u2019m proud to stand with America\u2019s dairy farmers against Biden\u2019s intrusion into our school cafeterias. Chocolate milk is a calcium-rich childhood favorite, and it is here to stay!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thompson\u2019s payout from the agriculture industry totals more than $939,000, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/members-of-congress\/glenn-thompson\/industries?cid=N00029736&#038;cycle=2022\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">according<\/a> to OpenSecrets. The Pennsylvania congressman is the top recipient of political contributions from Big Dairy, having raked in more than any member in either chamber to the tune of $75,000.<\/p>\n<p>When did it become conservative to protest <em>responsible <\/em>federal spending? The new rules to reduce consumption of additive sugars in schools are proposed at a time when <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/obesity\/data\/adult.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">nearly 1 in 5<\/a> American children are categorically obese. Childhood obesity has become such a problem that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently proposed <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/01\/10\/forget-playing-outside-big-pharmas-solution-to-childhood-obesity-is-more-drugs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">new recommendations<\/a> to tackle the crisis, featuring a cocktail of pharmaceuticals and extreme surgeries often reserved as a last resort. The AAP\u2019s primary funders also happen to be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/moderna-ceo-were-going-to-need-boosters-in-the-fall-of-22-and-forward\/\" title=\"Moderna CEO: \u2018We\u2019re Going To Need Boosters In The Fall Of \u201922 And Forward\u2019\">major pharmaceutical companies<\/a>, who appear eager to capitalize on a new generation of lifelong medical patients.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Why Republicans are Fighting to Keep Chocolate Milk in Schools<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik is leading the charge against changes in federal nutrition standards that threaten chocolate milk in public school cafeterias.<\/li>\n<li>Republicans on Capitol Hill are taking a stand against the new guidelines, framing them as an episode of federal overreach.<\/li>\n<li>Stefanik proposed a bill with nine Republican cosponsors to counter the bureaucratic measure and pledged Thursday to \u201cdo everything in my power to stop these efforts.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Stefanik\u2019s payout from the agriculture industry? Nearly $150,000, according to OpenSecrets, with more than $17,000 from the dairy lobby.<\/li>\n<li>Pennsylvania Rep. Glenn Thompson, who chairs the House Agriculture Committee and is a cosponsor of Stefanik\u2019s legislation, also framed the debate as an item in the culture wars.<\/li>\n<li>Thompson\u2019s payout from the agriculture industry totals more than $939,000<br \/>\n<h2>The Culture War Republicans Should Be Fighting: Childhood Obesity<\/h2>\n<p>Childhood obesity has disastrous implications for the future of chronic disease and infertility. Yet, major food industries continue to pump children with high levels of sugar, and federal food programs still subsidize a childhood diet laced with excess sugar. It&#8217;s time for Republicans to take on these industries and fight for responsible spending of American tax dollars.<\/p>\n<h3>The Consequences of Obesity<\/h3>\n<p>Children today are already witnessing the consequences of obesity with pediatric cases of type 2 diabetes doubling at multiple hospitals during Covid lockdowns. One CDC study found that the rate of BMI increase in a cohort of children doubled under school closures. It turns out sending kids home, where many relied on processed food to cope with lockdowns, wasn\u2019t the best thing for children\u2019s health.<\/p>\n<h3>Big Food and Big Pharma Profit<\/h3>\n<p>Big Food was excited to rake in profits, with sales of packaged products spiking at the same time. And Big Pharma can see the green in sick care: chronic diseases alone cost Americans $1.1 trillion in 2016, a number that is only going up as their neighbors are getting sicker.<\/p>\n<h3>The Role of Republicans<\/h3>\n<p>If Republicans really want to fight the culture war, they should take on major food industries that are pumping children with high levels of a substance found to be more rewarding than cocaine. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) let the food industry get away with marketing ultra-processed cereals saturated with sugar as \u201chealthy\u201d for years before finally doing something about it. Now the corporate food manufacturers have deployed their shock-troop lobbyists to Washington to keep it that way.<\/p>\n<p>Why are Republicans more interested in protecting chocolate milk than attacking the industry that\u2019s making us sick? That\u2019s a real culture war. If Republicans want to gripe about federal nutrition standards coming from D.C. to begin with, that\u2019s fair. But as long as American tax dollars are being spent on cafeterias, there should be some interest in spending it responsibly.<\/p>\n<h3>A Better Solution<\/h3>\n<p>Stefanik claims \u201cflavored milk is one [of] the best ways for kids to get essential dairy nutrients for growth and development.\u201d Except it\u2019s not. Children can get their vitamin D from playing outside and their calcium from unflavored milk as well as almonds, fish, leafy greens, and fresh oranges to satisfy a sweet tooth.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-author-description fst-italic\">Tristan Justice is the western correspondent for The Federalist and the author of Social Justice Redux, a conservative newsletter on culture, health, and wellness. Follow him on Twitter at @JusticeTristan or contact him at Tristan@thefederalist.com. Sign up for Tristan&#8217;s email newsletter <a href=\"https:\/\/socialjusticeredux.substack.com\/about\">here<\/a>.<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-tags bdr-top-black mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-15 pt-md-45\">\n<ul class=\"list-unstyled d-flex flex-wrap align-items-center mb-0 mx-n10 p-0\">\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/agriculture-committee\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Agriculture Committee<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/department-of-agriculture\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Department of Agriculture<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/elise-stefanik\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Elise Stefanik<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/fda\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">FDA<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/food-and-drug-administ\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Food and Drug Administration<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Discover the Latest News on Health and Politics<\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Stay informed on the latest developments in health and politics with The Federalist. Our team of expert journalists brings you the most up-to-date news and analysis on a variety of topics, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Food and Drug Administration<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Glenn Thompson<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Health<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Joe Biden<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Milk<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Milk Mandate<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Swamp<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">USDA<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Our articles are written with you in mind, providing engaging and informative content that keeps you in the know. From breaking news to in-depth analysis, we&#8217;ve got you covered. So why wait? Join our community today and stay ahead of the curve.<\/p>\n<h3>Benefits of Reading The Federalist<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Expert Analysis:<\/b> Our team of journalists includes experts in health and politics, providing you with the most accurate and insightful analysis.<\/li>\n<li><b>Breaking News:<\/b> Stay up-to-date on the latest developments with our breaking news coverage.<\/li>\n<li><b>Engaging Content:<\/b> Our articles are written with you in mind, providing engaging and informative content that keeps you coming back for more.<\/li>\n<li><b>Community:<\/b> Join our community of like-minded individuals who are passionate about health and politics.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Don&#8217;t miss out on the latest news and analysis. Subscribe to The Federalist today and stay informed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Republicans should focus on more pressing issues than opposing the Biden administration&#8217;s proposal to limit sugary chocolate milk in schools. With Americans becoming more unhealthy and overweight, the No. 3 GOP leader&#8217;s crusade seems misplaced. Instead, Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy should prioritize the debt ceiling negotiations with the White House.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":494,"featured_media":1937353,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[3706,8387,4421,7786,6203,6187,5001,11009,6696,6520],"class_list":["post-1937352","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-bidens","tag-chocolate","tag-culture","tag-focus","tag-gop","tag-milk","tag-real","tag-swamp","tag-war","tag-wars"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1937352","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/494"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1937352"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1937352\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1937353"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1937352"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1937352"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1937352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}