In Final STOP of Schumer’s Annual 62-county TOUR: Schumer: GOT Whole MILK? Standing WITH Capital Region Dairy Farmers, Senator Calls on House to TAKE UP Just-passed Senate BILL to Bring MORE MILK FROM...

Schumer Celebrates Stop In Columbia County Marking Completion Of Senator’s 27thAnnual 62-County Tour Of NY; Senator Says Conversations With Dairy Farmers Across NY Drove Support For This Bill & Calls On House To Vote
Since 2012, Milk Has Been Restricted For School Meals By USDA, Hurting Upstate Dairy Farms And Stopping Kids From Getting Access To Delicious, Nutritious Milk Products, But Bipartisan Bill That Just Passed The Senate Can Fix; Schumer Says The House Needs To Act ASAP To FINALLY Bring Back Whole & Reduced Fat Milk For Students
Schumer: It Is Time To Bring Back Whole Milk From Upstate NY Dairy Farms To Schools & Students Across America
Standing with dairy farmers from across the Capital Region, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer at A. Ooms & Sons Dairy Farm in Columbia County called on the House of Representatives to take up the just-passed Senate bill to bring back milk options to schools across America, so it can become law. The Schumer-supported bipartisanWhole Milk for Healthy Kids Actwould bring back unflavored and flavored whole and reduced-fat milk to be offered in school cafeterias, which have been restricted since 2012, hurting Upstate NY dairy farms.
Schumer highlighted the health benefits of drinking milk and explained that adding more milk options in cafeterias will increase students’ milk consumption and help dairy farmers across Upstate NY. This visit to Columbia County marked the completion of Schumer’s 27thannual tour of all 62 counties in New York.
“It is time to bring whole milk back to school lunches. Milk is one of the best and healthiest options to give students the nutrition they need to learn and grow, and it has been restricted in our schools, hurting Upstate dairy farmers, for far too long. I was proud to support theWhole Milk for Healthy KidsAct in the Senate to bring more milk options to school cafeterias across America. This is a win-win for Upstate NY dairy farmers who can sell their products and kids across America who will once again be able to drink the delicious, nutritious milk they want at lunchtime,”said Senator Schumer.“Now, we need the House to follow suit. I am here with Capital Region dairy farmers calling on the House to pass this bipartisan legislation. I have long fought to boost New York’s dairy industry and will continue fighting to ensure our farmers’ products are widely available.”
Today’s visit to Columbia County marks the completion of Schumer’s 27thannual tour of all 62 New York counties. Schumer explained that this tour allows him to meet New Yorkers in every corner of the state and determine where federal action is needed. Schumer has long heard from dairy farmers who want schools to offer whole milk to students to encourage young kids to drink milk and become lifelong milk drinkers. Since then, Schumer has been a proponent of theWhole Milk for Healthy Kids Actto support New York dairy farmers and encourage students to love milk and other dairy products.
Schumer added,“This represents the beauty of my 62-county tour. I hear from dairy farmers who want schools to offer whole milk and flavored milk to students, so they have more options and learn to love milk. This is exactly why I still do the tour even after all these years. I always learn something. By meeting New Yorkers in every corner of the state every year, I get to hear about what I can do to deliver critical federal support for local communities. I was proud to support this bill in the Senate and hope the House passes it soon so it can be signed into law.”
TheWhole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025highlights the health benefits milk provides to students, including better bone health, lower blood pressure, and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease or Type 2 diabetes. According to the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs), milk is a source of two under-consumed nutrients, calcium and vitamin D. In addition, recent scientific and medical research indicates that higher-fat milk consumption by children isassociatedwith lower childhood obesity and other positive health outcomes.
Schools participating in the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) national school lunch and breakfast programs havenot been permitted to serve whole milk since 2012, when they aimed to align school meal menus with the DGAs, which proposed limiting fat consumption in children. However, more recentanalysesof existing scientific studies suggest that children who drink whole milk could have lower levels of obesity. More varieties and options will increase the amount of milk students will drink, allowing them to benefit from the nutritional content of numerous milk varieties.
The text of theWhole Milk for Healthy Kids Actcan be foundHERE.
The dairy industry is one of New York's largest contributors to the agricultural economy. According to the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Dairy statistics, there are nearly 3,000 dairy farms in New York that produce over 16.1 billion pounds of milk annually, making New York the nation’s fifth largest dairy state. InColumbia County, there are 6,700 dairy cows across 7 farms that produced more than 8,600 pounds of milk in 2024.
Frombacking the Dairy Margin Coverage Programto fund monthly price support payments from the feds to dairy farmers toensuring Greek yogurt is included in the USDA’s school lunch program, Schumer has long fought for policies that support New York’s dairy farmers and said this new legislation is a common-sense fix that will help Upstate dairy farms grow.
###