[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6084962,"mediaKeyId","2906858-eb85400a96b639d81acccc355dcea96a","parentId",2906858,"title","Senate Ag panel hears witnesses on Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act (S.222)","audioSeconds",6492,"startMs",1022000,"endMs",7514000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2906858-eb85400a96b639d81acccc355dcea96a&start=1022&end=7514","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2906858-eb85400a96b639d81acccc355dcea96a/thumbnail_1022000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6084962/Senate-Ag-panel-hears-witnesses-on-Whole-Milk-for-Healthy-Kids-Act-S222","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6084962-525f0f0bcf6f445e2a8941e9a370cf93/orig.mp4?Expires=1770742329&Signature=O7LyyxtVeghgb6Gs3qoUG-80S-qvx1pfItqnasR7cHmv5BpmPqwrXLZvP8CA3U3cY2JBz1qdp74FmCh3xrqdtT1C5~KfSOK3lgNENDKTATWtGVAIG7vC5tZ6XBUqgusKDMX1r-gch-mIyWE3TFbGLDVFmK7phzMmmU0aI2QoKxMBe2f6fIl5edO8fhOftml~Aa5N~ky9X-LU783hNynIJ6MQIFnAt4pncPp3nAr3PVV7CoGKufefkeTOrrRj8kdpHh3JhW5LOwWlOHQ2gpR3cf3Fn3kQXTTX1ImnW8jMP42iXwCYUCRaqkIejCGUR94U85vI0lBULf~D7qnH5ouSdQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry","date","2025-04-01T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry heard testimony on the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act (S.222) and its potential effects on school meal participation, students' nutrient intakes and dairy farmers.

Chairman John Boozman opened the hearing by introducing S.222 and thanking witnesses, saying, \"It's my privilege to call this hearing to order ... the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act S.222.\" The bill would allow schools to offer whole and reduced‑fat milk in addition to current low‑fat, fat‑free and lactose‑free options and would exempt milk fat from the saturated‑fat limits in school meals, proponents said.

Why it matters: supporters said restoring milk‑fat choice could raise milk consumption and reduce waste in school programs, helping address nutrient shortfalls for calcium, vitamin D and potassium. Opponents cited public‑health groups and nutrition guidance that generally recommend most people choose low‑fat or fat‑free dairy to limit saturated fat.

Dr. Eve Studi, director of the Nutrition Guidance and Analysis Division at USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, told the committee that national dietary data show \"for about 90 percent of the U.S. population, dairy intakes fall below recommendations.\" Studi said the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend most dairy choices be \"fat free or low fat and with no to little added sugars,\" while acknowledging the guidelines also allow flexibility for individual needs and preferences.

Pediatric nutritionist Dr. Keith Ayoob, who works with low‑income children in the Bronx, said milk provides a package of nutrients not easily replaced by other single foods. \"Milk in schools and dairy milk in general has 13 essential nutrients,\" Ayoob said, adding that systematic reviews have found no association between dairy consumption and higher cardiometabolic risk in children.

School food directors who run local meal programs stressed operational impacts. Krista Byler, district chef and food service director for Union City Area School District in Pennsylvania, described a one‑year trial in which her district offered a full range of milk‑fat choices. \"The results are astounding,\" Byler said. \"We saw a 50 percent increase in milk consumption and a 95 percent reduction in waste.\" Byler said the change benefited students and the local dairy producers who supply schools.

Other committee members raised differing evidence. Senator Dick Durbin noted major health organizations — including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Heart Association and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics — have expressed concerns about returning to higher‑fat milk in school meals. Studi said the departments will consider the advisory committee's recommendations for the next edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Committee members and witnesses repeatedly framed the bill as one piece of larger efforts to improve child nutrition. Studi emphasized that dietary guidance is intended as a flexible framework and said the departments would perform more review before altering school meal standards. Witnesses also stressed that whatever milk is offered is only beneficial if students actually drink it; several speakers cited declines in fluid‑milk consumption among adolescents and linked participation and taste preferences to consumption rates.

No committee vote or formal action on S.222 was recorded during the hearing; senators and witnesses said further review and discussion were expected.

The panel heard additional testimony on school meal program operations and funding that supporters said bear on the bill's effects, including rising food costs, equipment needs, and the role of federal reimbursements in enabling schools to source locally produced foods.

Next steps: committee members said they plan to continue the legislative and administrative review; proponents urged Congress to move quickly to address both milk‑choice policy and broader supports for school nutrition programs.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Legislative Hearing to Review S. 222, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, and Improving Children’s Health ","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry held a hearing on S.222, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which would allow schools to offer whole and reduced‑fat milk alongside current low‑fat and fat‑free options.","taxTitle","Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Senate Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",1985,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6084957,"Senators and witnesses warn USDA program cancellations and SNAP cuts could strain schools and local farms",3320,1383000,4703000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2906858-eb85400a96b639d81acccc355dcea96a&start=1383&end=4703","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2906858-eb85400a96b639d81acccc355dcea96a/thumbnail_1383000.jpg","/articles/6084957/Senators-and-witnesses-warn-USDA-program-cancellations-and-SNAP-cuts-could-strain-schools-and-local-farms","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6084957-4732879fba80233dea88eba7768544d3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770742329&Signature=iOVahP8WAzrJhF43UEBTFNB4jh7SlHBDhYsZwSrSzxXyrHocjXYukg55dPpvjE0wgcuynfYzstECC6v1x7NffE3j4hGsoPnFf9BQ4NgvKsvmshIrQILuiruji7XjUlLCnwy2i51AsX5RWW20jDRRsaVitQWD20TKsGVybNN1ZAPlfUkxrVPgiFxM5IpUMnqnhkF-dGuadPa06WfKu~j1DBUtyRUf4jTIJ-ScTrdDK6nzUnjSpAwnahXER5hMjteFcBDtIuvJn1nDP2wffk7LQWAmANVFQpK8NuACcFGwiwCD~4Vl4eY2TWfEAL8y1Sjx3LotYQWNhFt6PmzZaqyLDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senators at a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act (S.222) also spent substantial time questioning witnesses about recent USDA changes to local food and anti‑hunger grants and the possible effects of proposed SNAP cuts.

Several members, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Sen. Ben Ray Luján, said USDA had canceled or suspended programs that supported local purchasing and emergency food providers. Klobuchar told the panel that \"USDA's canceling the local foods purchase assistance are contrary to that advice\" to promote fruits and vegetables, and said program cancellations would \"exacerbate food insecurity.\" Senator Luján said USDA notified applicants on March 24 that the Patrick Leahy Farm to School grant competition was canceled and later asserted that the department suspended Emergency Food Assistance Program funds destined for food banks in March 2025.

Dr. Eve Studi, the USDA nutrition official testifying on dietary guidance, repeatedly said her role was to speak to the science behind the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and that she did not have immediate answers on administrative decisions or grant cancellations. Studi told senators several times she would \"bring that back to the department\" and provide follow‑up responses.

Local and state school nutrition leaders described the practical effects of cuts and rising costs on schools' ability to serve high‑quality meals. Lynette Dodson, deputy superintendent of school nutrition for the Georgia Department of Education, said federal grants and commodity purchases have expanded local procurement in Georgia and warned that changes to Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) thresholds or SNAP eligibility could remove free meal access for hundreds of thousands of children. \"Currently, we have 1,296 schools out of our 2,300 that operate the community eligibility provision in Georgia,\" Dodson said; she estimated the proposed change could cause roughly 350 schools to lose CEP status and potentially put about half a million children at risk of losing free meal access if SNAP changes occur.

Dan Gorman, a Michigan school food director who testified, called CEP \"smart government\" and said the provision had driven increases in breakfast and lunch participation in his districts. He warned that proposed increases to documentation and verification requirements would create large administrative burdens for schools.

Senators also warned that combining program cuts, cancelled grants and tariffs affecting farm incomes would strain both local food suppliers and school districts' ability to buy fresh produce. Several senators said they would press for follow‑up answers from USDA about specific cancellations and funding suspensions.

The USDA witness on dietary guidance declined to confirm administrative decisions during the hearing and committed to providing written follow‑up. Committee staff left the hearing record open for five business days to accept additional information and written answers from agencies and witnesses.","Multiple senators used the hearing to raise administration cuts to USDA local‑food, farm‑to‑school and emergency food programs and proposed SNAP changes, saying those actions would undermine school meal access and local markets. USDA nutrition staff said they could not answer program cancellation questions at the hearing and would follow up.","actionData","errors"]

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Senate Ag panel hears witnesses on Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act (S.222)

Senators and witnesses warn USDA program cancellations and SNAP cuts could strain schools and local farms