Thompson, Deluzio Introduce GIVE MILK Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representatives Glenn "GT" Thompson (PA-15) and Chris Deluzio (PA-17) today introduced the bipartisan Giving Increased Variety to Ensure Milk Into the Lives of Kids (GIVE MILK) Act, a bill that will aim to make it easier for expectant mothers and mothers of young children to access milk for their families and provide infants, children, and mothers the nutrients they need during key developmental stages.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) currently restricts milk choices to nonfat or 1% in most cases. The GIVE MILK Act would enable participants over the age of two to receive 2% reduced fat or whole milk.

"For more than a decade, whole milk has been wrongfully dubbed as unhealthy, but in reality, it provides a wealth of essential nutrients that are particularly important for children," Rep. Thompson said. "Including whole milk in the WIC program will provide a healthy option for those families who find themselves depending upon these benefits for access to essential nutrition."

"Parents should have the freedom to choose what kind of milk they bring home to their families," Rep. Deluzio said. "Yet the WIC program doesn't allow parents to buy whole or 2% milk. I'm proud to co-lead the GIVE MILK Act with Congressman Thompson to fix this, giving the full range of milk options to families in Pennsylvania and across the country."

"NMPF commends Reps. Thompson and Deluzio for their bipartisan work to expand the healthy milk options available to WIC participants. WIC plays a vital role in ensuring that pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and children can gain the nutrients needed for health and development. Milk is a nutrition powerhouse that provides 13 essential nutrients, making it effective in improving nutrition security. Reduced-fat and whole milk are the most popular milk options in the U.S., so it's common sense to allow these healthful, popular options to be purchased through WIC." - Gregg Doud, President and CEO of National Milk Producers Federation

"Millions of low-income women and children rely on WIC milk benefits to afford essential, nutritious dairy products. Milk is one of the most frequently redeemed items in the WIC program, yet current rules don't allow them to choose preferred options like whole and 2% milk-options that provide the same important nutrients as all fluid milk, including calcium, protein, and key vitamins. Recent national polling conducted by IDFA and Morning Consult shows that 91% of parents serve their children whole or 2% milk at home. IDFA commends Reps. Thompson and Deluzio for introducing the bipartisan GIVE MILK Act, which would let WIC participants choose the nutritious milk choices they prefer, strengthening WIC's impact and making the WIC program more attractive to eligible mothers and children." - Michael Dykes, D.V.M., President and CEO, International Dairy Foods Association

"We are pleased to see Representatives Thompson and Deluzio re-introduce the Giving Increased Variety to Ensure Milk Into the Lives of Kids Act or the GIVE MILK Act. Their leadership on this bill is especially meaningful, given how significantly the dairy industry contributes to Pennsylvania's agricultural economy. This crucial bill is another step toward offering children whole and 2% milk, some of the most wholesome and nutritious beverages available. By including whole milk in government programs such as the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, we are ensuring participants are receiving the essential nutrients from milk. This is a commonsense piece of legislation that will result in healthier children and sustaining our local family dairy farms." - Bailey Fisher, Federal Affairs Specialist, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau

Read the full text of the bill.