Following the passage of the House version of Senator Roger Marshall’s bill, Whole Milk For Healthy Kids Act, he has just pushed for unanimous consent on the Senate floor.
His remarks read as follows:
Mr./Madam President – Today, I rise to ask Unanimous Consent that the Senate pass HR 1147, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act. But before I start I just want to take a quick drink of this super drink- Cheers! Here is to the dairy farmers in Kansas and across the country.
Fun fact, besides water, milk is the only other beverage allowed here on the Senate floor.
Milk is the most delicious, most nutritious drink known to mankind. It’s not even close.
Whole milk helps to keep growing kids- and adults- healthy and strong because it has 13 essential nutrients packed into one drink. Also, because of the fat content specifically in whole milk, it promotes the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, and K;
As an obstetrician, I cannot stress enough the importance of drinking whole milk to grow strong bones. Science also shows that milk consumption provides additional positive health outcomes such as lower blood pressure, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, and reduced risk of type two diabetes.
As medical costs skyrocket and the obesity epidemic worsens – I rise today to set the record straight, milk is a part of the solution, not a part of the problem.
Many fingers have been pointed at the dairy industry, and millions of lobbying dollars have been invested in making lawmakers believe that milk is the enemy. Anti-dairy policies have resulted in decreased milk consumption and ironically an increase in negative health outcomes. In fact, the most recent Dietary Guidelines of America cites calcium, potassium, and Vitamin D as three out of the top four under-consumed nutrients that Americans are deficient in. Well, guess what? Due to its nutritional qualities, all of those deficiencies can be resolved with an increase in milk consumption. No other food or drink has the ability to pack that kind of nutritional punch. Period.
Sadly, over a decade ago, this very chamber voted to remove whole milk from our nation’s schools, and now we are facing the consequences. Because we are not encouraging our children to drink milk, we will have a generation of men and women who are going to have osteopenia and osteoporosis 10 to 15 years earlier than their predecessors.
Let me reiterate, preventable diseases will occur more frequently as a consequence of a federal government overreaction, that is based on obsolete research. Research which contradicts modern nutritional science and discourages healthy eating habits for children.
Today, we need to right this wrong and bring back nutritious whole milk to our children’s lunch line. Let’s bring back this tasty and nutritious option.
Whole milk has a litany of health benefits to offer our children, and did I mention, it tastes great! The benefits of whole milk cannot be overlooked or understated- and certainly not substituted for skim or one percent milk, or artificially flavored milk that is loaded with empty calories.
Bringing more healthy options back to school cafeterias is a slam dunk for American families, and delivering this to the President’s desk before Christmas will help promote the consumption of healthy fats that help kids grow both physically and cognitively, support America’s farmers and ranchers, and it promotes a brighter, stronger future for us all.
