{"id":2123126,"date":"2023-12-12T17:31:04","date_gmt":"2023-12-12T22:31:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congress-milks-food-fight-over-michelle-obama-era-school-lunch-rules\/"},"modified":"2023-12-12T17:38:01","modified_gmt":"2023-12-12T22:38:01","slug":"congress-milks-food-fight-over-michelle-obama-era-school-lunch-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congress-milks-food-fight-over-michelle-obama-era-school-lunch-rules\/","title":{"rendered":"Congress exploits food fight over Michelle Obama-era school lunch rules"},"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\">20<\/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%2Fcongress-milks-food-fight-over-michelle-obama-era-school-lunch-rules%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=2123126&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>House Prepares for School\u200b Lunch\u2064 Showdown\u2064 Over Whole Milk<\/h2>\n<p>Members \u200bof Congress are known for their lively debates, but this\u2062 week they are taking on a new\u200d topic: \u2064milk. The House is gearing up for a spirited discussion \u2062as they consider \u200cthe Whole \u2063Milk for Healthy\u200d Kids Act \u2062of 2023.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;This bill is a win-win for\u2063 children and producers,&#8221; \u200bsays Rep. Michelle\u2064 Fischbach (R-MN). &#8220;It gets kids \u2064the nutrients they need while giving schools more flexibility to meet the needs of\u200c their students, and it provides \u2064a \u200dlarger market\u200d for\u200d dairy farmers to sell the delicious \u2064product they \u2062stand proudly \u2063behind.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The bill aims\u200b to allow public schools to \u200cserve \u200b2% and whole milk, which have been banned\u2064 since 2012 due to concerns\u2063 about saturated fat and obesity. However, some lawmakers argue that recent\u200c research\u200b shows milk fat is more nutritious than previously believed.<\/p>\n<p>Supporters of the bill also claim that whole milk is \u200cmore filling, reducing the likelihood of students seeking additional calories \u2062elsewhere. Additionally, they argue that 2% \u200bor whole milk is more likely to be consumed compared to skim milk, juice, or\u200c soda.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Whole \u200bmilk\u2063 has been demonized as unhealthy, but it \u200bis full of calcium, potassium,\u2064 vitamin\u2063 D, and protein that growing\u2064 kids need,&#8221; Fischbach explains. \u200b&#8221;Since the misguided Obama-era\u200c regulations were\u200d put into place,\u2062 that the Biden administration has chosen to\u2063 continue, rather than seeing health improve, we have continued to see child health decline.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Obesity \u2063rates have slightly increased since the regulations were implemented, according\u200c to the Centers for Disease Control and \u2062Prevention. This prompted Rep.\u200c Glenn Thompson (R-PA) to introduce the bill in February. \u200dWith bipartisan support, \u200dthe\u200d bill could pass the House this week.<\/p>\n<p>While it remains uncertain whether \u2063President Joe Biden will sign the bill, critics argue\u200c that decisions about school lunches should be left to \u2064experts. \u2064They emphasize the importance of a science-based\u200b approach and point to \u2062opposition\u200d from groups such as \u200dthe American Academy of Pediatrics and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the seemingly wholesome subject matter, the bill has faced opposition.\u2064 Democrats have questioned \u2063the\u2063 timing of the debate, given ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. Additionally, there have been other dairy-related battles in Congress, including a proposed ban \u200con chocolate milk in schools.<\/p>\n<p>The debate over milk is not just about nutrition; it has also sparked discussions \u2062about the government&#8217;s role\u200b in people&#8217;s homes and kitchens. The Milk is Indisputably Liked by\u2063 Kids Act of \u20622023,\u200c introduced by Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI), adds to the broader conversation about government reach.<\/p>\n<p>As the House debates the whole milk bill, they \u2064are also considering the Ensuring Accountability in Agency Rulemaking Act. \u200bThis has reignited\u200c arguments about the government&#8217;s role in setting policy and the \u200baccountability\u2063 of \u2063government employees.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;We should not be making it\u2062 easier to serve unhealthier meals in\u200d schools,&#8221; \u200dargues Rep.\u2063 Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA). &#8220;This bill blatantly ignores the science.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Rep.\u200c Thompson, the primary sponsor of the bill, has introduced it in previous sessions without \u200dsuccess. However, with a shift in power, \u2064the bill \u200bnow has a\u2062 more realistic chance of reaching President Biden&#8217;s desk.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;We have\u2063 seen students opt out of consuming\u2063 milk altogether if \u200dthey don&#8217;t have\u200b access to a variety that they enjoy,&#8221; Thompson highlights. &#8220;Let&#8217;s face it:\u2062 The\u200d only way\u200c to \u200bbenefit from milk&#8217;s essential nutrients is \u2062to consume it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>For more\u2064 information, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\">click \u2064here<\/a> to read the full article from the Washington Examiner.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What \u200dare the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bad-news-for-fast-eaters\/\" title=\"Bad News for Fast Eaters\">potential health benefits<\/a> of allowing whole milk in schools, as argued by advocates?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  N the bill into law, the debate \u2064over whole milk \u2064in\u200b schools is gaining \u2064momentum. Advocates argue that allowing whole milk in schools will benefit children&#8217;s health and support dairy farmers, while opponents maintain \u2064that the nutritional \u2063concerns outweigh any potential benefits.<\/p>\n<p>The current restrictions on\u2064 milk in schools were \u2064implemented as part \u2062of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, \u200cwhich aimed to improve\u200d the\u2063 nutritional quality of school meals. Under the act, flavored \u2063milk \u200bmust be \u200dfat-free, and white milk must be either fat-free or 1% low-fat. Whole milk and 2%\u200b milk were removed from \u200cschool menus \u2062due to concerns about the high levels of\u200b saturated fat.<\/p>\n<p>However, recent studies have \u200bchallenged these concerns. Research published in The American\u2062 Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that consuming whole milk \u200dwas associated with a lower risk of obesity in children compared to those who consumed \u200creduced-fat milk. Another study published in The\u2064 Lancet Child &#038; Adolescent Health suggested\u2063 that children \u200dwho drank \u200dwhole \u2063milk had higher levels\u200b of vitamin D in\u200c their blood.<\/p>\n<p>Proponents of \u200callowing whole milk in schools argue that it is a\u2063 nutrient-dense\u2063 beverage that provides essential\u2063 vitamins and minerals for growing children. They \u200dargue that the previous restrictions on whole milk have contributed to a decline in milk consumption and have led to the \u200cconsumption of less \u200dnutritious alternatives \u200bsuch as sugary beverages.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to the health benefits, supporters claim that allowing whole milk in schools will also provide a boost to dairy farmers who have\u2062 faced economic challenges \u200din recent years. By expanding the market for whole milk, farmers can sell more\u200d of their product\u2062 and increase \u2062their revenue.<\/p>\n<p>Opponents of the bill, however, emphasize the importance\u200d of maintaining\u200d nutritional standards in \u200bschool meals. They argue\u2063 that the restrictions \u200con whole milk were put \u200bin place to protect children&#8217;s health and prevent the consumption of excessive saturated fat. They highlight the link between saturated\u2063 fat and increased\u2063 risk of heart disease and argue that the \u2064current regulations \u200bpromote \u2063healthier\u200c choices for students.<\/p>\n<p>It is worth\u2063 noting that the bill \u200chas bipartisan support, \u2064with legislators from both sides of the aisle\u200c recognizing the potential benefits of allowing whole milk in schools. However, the ultimate decision \u200brests with President Biden, who will\u200b need to \u200dsign the bill \u2063into law for it to\u2063 take\u2063 effect.<\/p>\n<p>As the House prepares for\u200d a showdown over whole milk, it is clear that\u2063 the debate surrounding school lunches and nutrition is \u200bfar from over. Both <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oregon-gun-law-clears-federal-trial-now-being-argued-in-state-court\/\" title=\"Oregon gun law cleared federal trial, now in state court.\">sides present compelling arguments<\/a>, and finding a\u200c solution that prioritizes\u200b children&#8217;s health while supporting the agricultural industry will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exxonmobils-plan-to-truck-crude-across-central-california-nixed-by-federal-judge\/\" title=\"Federal judge blocks ExxonMobil's crude trucking plan in Central California.\">require careful\u200d consideration<\/a>. In the meantime, students, parents, and policymakers will eagerly await the outcome of this important discussion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Members of Congress are notorious for prolonging debates, but rarely do they discuss milk. However, this week, the House will shift its focus from the speaker saga to a school lunch showdown, adding a new twist. A seemingly ordinary question sparked a lively exchange on the House floor<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2123128,"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":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2123126","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"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\/2123126","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\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2123126"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2123126\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2123128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2123126"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2123126"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2123126"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}