'Raw milk freedom': Ron Paul bill to get new push as GOP takes on 'big milk' in new Congress

The Interstate Milk Freedom Act is expected to receive a new push once Republicans regain control of Congress in January.

Sponsored by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), the bill "prohibits federal regulation of the interstate traffic of unpasteurized milk or milk products packaged for direct human consumption under specified circumstances."

Massie has been pushing the issue on Twitter.

"I’ve been drinking raw milk almost every day for the past year. I can say it’s been great for my health!" Massie tweeted on Wednesday.

"When I introduced the bipartisan Interstate Milk Freedom Act a decade ago, I was motivated to protect freedom, and didn’t have an opinion on whether raw milk was beneficial," he explained. "Before trying raw milk, I had given up on trying to drink any pasteurized store bought milk that wasn’t “lactose free.” Not only does my body tolerate raw milk, it has been great for my gut health, allowing me to eat other foods that my body would otherwise reject."

On Friday, he linked raw milk to the anti-vaxx movement.

"The FDA that banned the transport of raw milk, a wholesome food that’s been consumed by human beings for thousands of years, is the same FDA that authorized myocarditis-inducing mRNA injections with no long-term data and zero liability for the manufacturers," he wrote. "Follow the money."

In response to his post, @CaringGuy1957 wrote, "Wow someone cashed the milk lobby's check."

"Yes, someone did," Massie replied. "Big milk opposes legal raw milk."

To which @CaringGuy1957 replied, "Oh you misunderstood, the raw milk lobby's check. You know, you."

It was also on Twitter, in 2020, when Massie explained his motivation for the legislation.

"Fun fact: Ron Paul and I served together in Congress for 6 weeks... long enough to pass the torch on bills such as Audit the Fed, Hemp, repealing social security tax on seniors, and Raw Milk freedom," he wrote.

In 2018, Massie used the hashtag "big milk" when describing the "lactose lobby" as intolerant.

"The lactose lobby is so intolerant!" he also wrote in 2014.

On Wednesday, Massie said methamphetamine can be "easier to get" than raw milk, but he managed to get his hands on some raw milk yogurt for breakfast on Friday.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, "raw milk — and products made from it—can make you and your loved ones sick. Raw milk has not undergone a process called pasteurization that kills disease-causing germs. Pasteurized milk is a safe and healthy food. When milk pasteurization began in the early 1900s, deaths and diarrheal illnesses in young children declined dramatically."

The FDA says, "raw milk can carry dangerous bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, Campylobacter, and others that cause foodborne illness, often called “food poisoning.”

These bacteria can seriously injure the health of anyone who drinks raw milk or eats products made from raw milk. However, the bacteria in raw milk can be especially dangerous to people with weakened immune systems (such as transplant patients and individuals with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and diabetes), children, older adults, and pregnant women."