Congressman Keller Introduces Give Milk Act to Expand Access to Whole Milk
WASHINGTON – Congressman Fred Keller (R-PA) has introduced the Giving Increased Variety to Ensure Milk into the Lives of Kids Act, otherwise known as the GIVE MILK Act, with original co-sponsor Congressman Glenn Thompson (R-PA).
The legislation aims to increase milk consumption in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) by giving participants over the age of two the option of having two percent reduced fat milk and whole milk as part of their diet. The bill reverses an Obama Administration era rule limiting WIC participants to low-fat (one percent) or non-fat milk.
Keller said, “Whole milk and two percent reduced fat milk remain some of the most nutritious options to support a healthy upbringing, and it is essential that we expand these critical sources of nutrients in our federal nutrition assistance programs. That is why I am proud to introduce the GIVE MILK Act to ensure whole milk and two percent reduced fat milk are readily available for our families and children relying on the WIC program while simultaneously supporting our nation’s dairy farmers.”
Thompson said, “Whole milk has been wrongfully targeted as unhealthy in recent years, but in reality it provides a wealth of vital nutrients that are particularly important for growing children. Including whole milk in the WIC program will provide a healthy option for those families who find themselves depending upon these benefits for essential nutrition.”
The WIC program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), supports the health and nutrition of low-income women, infants, and children through issuing federal grants to states for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education.
In 2014, the Obama Administration directed the USDA to make several major changes to the types of milk that are allowed in the WIC program, limiting important nutrition options for WIC participants and negatively impacting the nation’s dairy industry, according to the release from Keller’s office..
