Robert F Kennedy Jr was just confirmed by a 52-48 vote in the Senate and will be the next health secretary of the United States. He will lead the department of Health and Human Services (HHS) while the seed oil and snack food lobby staffs the US Department of Agriculture.
Can RFK Jr legalize raw milk?
Raw milk sales are governed by the states. There is nothing that HHS is going to do to change that, with or without RFK Jr. If raw milk sales are outlawed in your state, that is between you and your state politicians – not the federal government. View the raw milk law map.
In 1987, the Reagan administration formalized an informal ban on interstate raw milk sales. This policy blocks raw milk from being sold across state lines to this day. There’s no actual interstate raw milk ban on the books at the federal level, this blockade is enforced by legislation which allows the FDA to ban things through administrative policy.
RFK Jr could remove the ban on interstate raw milk sales, if he chooses to do so, but this would not affect the law that permits you to sell raw milk to your neighbors. That is between you and your state legislature and/ or state regulators.
Keep in mind, Amos Miller was pursued by federal regulators every single year of the previous Trump administration.
Arguments for interstate raw milk sales
Removing this policy would permit farms to ship raw milk nationwide, and many of the larger raw milk farms are chomping at the bit for this opportunity. This would score an immediate win for the consumer, representing an increase in options. Consumers in all states would be able to buy raw milk from any producer willing to ship across state lines, so long as they are not prohibited by state laws.
I’m not at all against being able to buy specialty raw milk products like butter and kefir from California, or Wisconsin (whenever they decide to legalize raw milk).
Arguments against interstate raw milk sales
Interstate raw milk farms would compete with your homegrown farmers. Without restricting consumers to acquire raw milk locally, through to the interstate ban and state laws, farms would lose customers to national brands.
This protectionist policy is appealing if you want the raw milk farmers in your state to be strong. I doubt it would be a death knell as many consumers prefer to know their farmers, but the constraints existing today would be gone.
Will the interstate raw milk ban be lifted?
It’s really a question of whether or not the forces managing Trump and his administration want to see large national raw milk brands emerge, or if they want to hold that power within their states. I imagine the latter, but I see this being a fight between libertarian elements of the Republican Party (who would prefer no borders) and the in-state agricultural powers (who prefer the intrastate protectionist policy).
Nobody knows just yet. I don’t take politicians at their word, any more than I need to, and this is not a pressing issue for those of us in states where raw milk is already legal.
Same dance, different body mods?
RFK Jr replaces Dr. Rachel Levine, who was used by the Democratic Party to placate a section of their left flank while refusing to give them what they want. Trans activists hoped the trans head of HHS would push their policies. They were met with a policy that only endorsed mental health, ie talking therapy, and that’s it. In alignment with the Cass Review, and frankly most voters, Biden’s administration would not support surgery or hormone blockers for minors and they didn’t want to talk about it.
Democratic leaders didn’t have the spine to look their left flank in the face and say “we’re not going that far.” Dr. Levine was one of the many halfhearted olive branches handed out by Dem Inc in the previous era, but not much more. When criticized by trans activist Corinne Green, Biden’s White House called their employer and got them fired.
This ended up being a bad strategy. While it was not the only misstep, rejection followed by confusion and dishonesty demoralized their left flank. Walking on eggshells allowed the RNC to campaign on their coveted stockpile of Pride Parade scare-videos. Even the Dick Cheney endorsement couldn’t save them.
Now we’ve got a new arrangement on our hands, or the same type of arrangement with different actors.
Our new Health Secretary is a long time proponent of independent farms, fitness and healthy living, and I believe he is genuinely so. However, a top lobbyist for the seed oil and snack food industry is now Chief of Staff for the USDA, which has far more of an influence over our food supply.
Health skeptics are now being presented with a heavily promoted celebrity health skeptic, by a political party with even more incentives toward eliminating food safety measures and consolidating food production into an ever reducing number of corporations.
