South Chester Today

Rep. Dan Moul, along with Reps. John Lawrence and Clint Owlett, expressed approval for congressional actions to reinstate whole milk in school lunch programs across the United States. The three representatives have been advocating for the inclusion of whole and reduced-fat milk in Pennsylvania schools, citing benefits for both students and the state's dairy industry.

The trio represents districts with significant dairy production and have actively worked to promote legislation supporting this cause. Last year, they hosted a news conference with members of Pennsylvania’s dairy sector, followed by legislative efforts led by Lawrence. The House passed a series of bills allowing Pennsylvania schools to offer whole and reduced-fat milk options; however, these bills stalled in the Senate.

In their joint statement, they argued that "whole milk is delicious and nutritious and should be available to our school children." They criticized past regulations from the Obama administration aimed at reducing childhood obesity through limiting milk options. According to them, these measures negatively impacted children's nutrition and contributed to challenges faced by Pennsylvania's dairy farmers.

They further stated that "fat-free and skim milk are now the only choices available" under current regulations, leading to waste as many students discard it due to lack of flavor compared to whole milk.

Moul, Lawrence, and Owlett acknowledged U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson's role in advancing the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act through committee stages toward a full House vote. They remarked on Thompson’s efforts: “We agree with Thompson...that science does not back up claims that whole milk is unhealthy for school children."

Agriculture remains vital to Pennsylvania’s economy, particularly its dairy segment which employs over 52,000 people statewide. Since federal restrictions began, more than 2,100 dairy farms have shut down within the state.