House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY) introduced legislation on Wednesday to unravel part of President Joe Biden’s war on milk.
Stefanik unveiled the Protecting Mothers and Infants Access to Milk Act, a bipartisan bill to stop the Biden administration’s rule that limits women, babies, and families’ access to milk under the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program.
“I am proud to lead the bipartisan Protecting Mothers and Infants’ Access to Milk Act to counter Joe Biden’s restrictions on WIC families’ access to nutritional milk and dairy products,” Stefanik said in a written statement. “Families are already struggling with skyrocketing prices at the grocery store, and this new rule would limit their access to healthy milk our dairy farmers in Upstate New York and the North Country work hard to provide for our communities.”
Reps. Josh Harder (D-CA) and Derrick Van Order (R-WI) cosponsored Stefanik’s legislation.
In April, the Biden administration finalized the “Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): Revisions in the WIC Food Packages,” which substantially reduced the amount of milk available to WIC families. Stefanik’s office contended that the rule could have harmful effects for women, babies, and families in the WIC program, as 90 percent of Americans do not meet their dairy consumption requirements, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
President Joe Biden eats a milk shake from Cook Out, a burger place in Raleigh, N.C., Jan. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
Stefanik has led a bipartisan letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack about the rule, and in a letter with Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) demanded answers as to why the department did not follow a congressional directive not to reduce the maximum monthly allowance of milk in WIC.
This is not the only time the Agriculture Department has sought to limit Americans’ access to milk; Stefanik and House Republicans have fought a Biden move to limit children’s access to chocolate milk in schools across America.
Stefanik’s legislation is widely backed the organizations representing the dairy industry.
“The WIC program helps mothers and young children have access to key nutrients they otherwise may lack. Milk, cheese, and yogurt are three of the five top redeemed items through WIC. They also provide three of the four nutrients of public health concern identified in the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. We commend Representatives Elise Stefanik, R-NY, Josh Harder, D-CA, and Derrick Van Orden, R-WI, for their Protecting Mothers and Infants’ Access to Milk Act to prevent any cuts to the dairy allotments in the WIC packages. This bill supports the program’s goal of ensuring all Americans have consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable foods,” said Gregg Doud, President and CEO of National Milk Producers Federation.
“The Northeast Dairy Farmers Cooperatives, representing over 800 dairy farm families in New York and New England, who have a century-plus legacy of commitment to providing fresh, high-quality milk and award-winning dairy products, applaud Rep. Stefanik’s prodigious work on behalf of our producers and industry in authoring timely legislation to expand and increase the utilization of milk in the vital Women, Infants, Children (WIC) program,” said the Northeast Dairy Farmers Cooperatives.
Northeast Dairy Producers Association Chair Keith Kimball said, “Real dairy milk and other dairy foods are important sources of protein, vitamins and minerals that are proven to benefit people of all ages. With thirteen essential nutrients, including calcium and vitamin D, milk is a nutrient-dense beverage produced by family dairy farms across the Empire State. NEDPA fully supports consumer choice and efforts to ensure all New Yorkers have equitable access to nutritious dairy products.”
Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.
