Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018

Floor Speech

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Mr. GROTHMAN. Madam Chair, I would like to speak on this amendment and make a few points.

Madam Chair, it is true the public health establishment is opposed to this amendment. It is also true, if you look at the amount of allergies out there, the amount of some other diseases that are affecting young kids, to some degree, the public health establishment is dropping the ball, and I don't think we can trust them entirely.

In my district, there is a substantial number of people who drink raw milk, and I would say it is tilted strongly towards people with a scientific background; chiropractors, nurses, veterinarians are the ones who feel strongest about drinking raw milk.

My final comment is I like to talk to people from foreign countries about the differences between their country and this country. Last year, I talked to a diplomat from Northern Europe and I asked him what the best and worst things about America were. To my surprise, he said the worst thing about America is the difficulty in getting unpasteurized cheese and unpasteurized milk.

Madam Chair, I thought it was a shame that America, the land of the free--when people come here from Europe, we are supposed to be freer in the United States. A complaint from people in Europe where you can drink unpasteurized milk, raw milk is that we don't have those freedoms in America.

Madam Chair, I think it is a great amendment for people who believe in freedom. And like I said, the people in my district who drink raw milk are the most informed on health issues.

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