President Trump Signs Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act
January 14, 2026Oval Office Signing Ceremony – Official Broadcast SummaryEvent Summary
On January 14, 2026, President Donald Trump signed S. 222, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025, into law during a ceremony in the Oval Office. The bipartisan legislation reverses Obama-era USDA restrictions (2012) that limited schools to offering only skim and low-fat (1%) milk in the National School Lunch Program.
Key provisions of the new law:
- Restores whole (full-fat) and 2% milk as allowable options in school cafeterias nationwide
- Removes the requirement for a doctor's note to provide milk alternatives in cases of lactose intolerance
- Aligns school milk policy with updated 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines that recognize benefits of full-fat dairy
- Aims to improve child nutrition, cognitive development, and reduce childhood obesity rates
Attendees included:
- Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins
- Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
- USDA National Nutrition Advisor Dr. Ben Carson
- Dairy farmers, parents, schoolchildren
- Bipartisan congressional members: Senators John Boozman, Mike Crapo, Roger Marshall, Peter Welch; Representatives GT Thompson, Tim Walberg
President Trump described the signing as “a great day for America’s children and farmers,” emphasizing that whole milk provides essential nutrients for brain development and overall health. He criticized prior low-fat mandates as misguided and credited the new law with supporting rural economies and American dairy producers. Secretary Rollins confirmed swift USDA implementation, while Secretary Kennedy highlighted how decades of anti-fat policy contributed to rising diabetes and obesity rates. Dr. Carson underscored milk’s role in childhood brain health.
Trump also noted recent economic gains for consumers (milk prices down 44%, eggs down 31%) and dairy export growth (up 23%) under his administration.
Other Topics Discussed During Reporter Q&A
After the signing ceremony, President Trump answered questions from reporters on several unrelated matters:
- Milk alternatives shift: Confirmed the law prioritizes traditional dairy over plant-based options (oat, almond) to support American farmers.
- Iran executions: Stated that planned executions in Iran had been halted based on credible intelligence; U.S. will continue monitoring without committing to military involvement at this time.
- Venezuela developments: Announced the arrest of a leaker regarding Venezuela negotiations; reported positive talks with Venezuela’s security leadership resulting in access to 50 million barrels of oil and improving bilateral relations.
- Greenland: Discussed national security concerns regarding Russian and Chinese activity near Greenland; emphasized Denmark’s limited defense capacity and kept all options on the table without ruling out or confirming use of force.
- Planned Parenthood funding: Stated neither he nor Secretary Kennedy was aware of any release of previously frozen HHS funds to Planned Parenthood.
- New Attorney General nominee: Described the forthcoming nominee as “tough, smart, and fair,” focused on rooting out government fraud; indicated an announcement may come soon.
- Tariffs & economy: Defended current tariff policy (including a recent 25% tariff on most imported semiconductors), stating tariffs have stopped wars, attracted $18 trillion in investment, lowered inflation, and spurred manufacturing (citing Ford’s Michigan expansion as an example).
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Re: New Attorney General nominee
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Bondi is out?