Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025

Floor Speech

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Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I am proud to join my colleagues in emphasizing the importance of whole milk in a healthy school lunch and taking Senate action to ensure a balanced diet for school-age children.

I rise today in support of S. 222, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act. This legislation, as we discussed, would allow for schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to, once again, offer whole and reduced-fat milk while also expanding the options for nutritious nondairy beverages.

The good news is, this legislation has support in the Senate and was unanimously reported out of the Senate Agriculture Committee earlier this year. My main message today is to thank Senators Marshall and Welch along with Senator McCormick and Fetterman for leading the bipartisan legislation and championing policies that promote a balanced diet and increased dairy consumption for students, something dietary experts who testified before the Ag Committee agree is important to their long-term health.

I also appreciate the interest of my colleagues who want to ensure these changes support their constituents, and I look forward to continuing work to secure that result.

I also want to thank Senator Alsobrooks for engaging in a very constructive way regarding the bill, and I look forward to continuing to work with her to try and figure out how we can go forward and deal with the comments that she has made or concerns that she has made. I was on the school board for 7 years, and these things are important. Labels are very, very important, so we appreciate you.

I am proud to share a commitment also with her in supporting school meals and to lead the committee in making commonsense updates to strengthen children's capabilities in and out of the classroom. I look forward to continuing our work in the Senate to make sure perspectives and concerns of constituents from Maryland are considered.

Finally, I want to recognize Paul Bleiberg, whose tireless advocacy on behalf of the American dairy farmers helped to ensure this important legislation progressed through the U.S. Senate. I look forward to moving this bill across the finish line in the Senate, and I am hopeful our colleagues in the House can build on this momentum.

Again, thank you, guys, so much for all of your work, your collaboration. This is how this place ought to work, and you are a great example of that.

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