Some Congressmen want federal agencies to start offering vegetarian food options at all federal facilities—from cafeterias in federal agencies and military bases to museums and national parks.
Led by Congressmen Jamie Raskin (D-MD), he and 31 other House lawmakers sent a letter to President Biden to push him to “strongly encourage all federal agencies to make a vegetarian entrée available everywhere that federal government cafeterias are serving meals—from federal agencies, museums and national parks to prisons and military bases.”
This would, of course, be for the benefit of federal employees. This is because plant-based meals are healthier than meats, so say the lawmakers. The Congressmen state in their letter:
Plant-based meals have dramatic health benefits for our people, lowering the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Making a vegetarian entrée available at federal facilities will help federal workers and visitors get more protein and nutrients from plants.
And, the Congressmen say that vegetarian meals will help save the planet. They further state in their letter:
Providing vegetarian entrées at federal facilities can also advance the health of our environment by reducing the federal government’s carbon footprint. American livestock farming is a significant contributor of greenhouse gas emissions. Livestock and waste from animals together produce significant levels of methane emission, while fertilizers used to grow animal feed create substantial nitrous oxide emissions, which are 300 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Helping the population access plant-based options can help us lower our carbon footprint.
They conclude their letter by stating that younger Americans likely prefer eating vegetarian foods anyway since they are already seeking out meals of this type, so given all of the aforementioned reasons, it only makes sense that the government continue to push as many people as possible to eat a certain way.
Other Proposals to Restrict Meat in Federal Cafeterias
This is not the first time that Congress has tried to dictate what federal employees eat.
Last year, Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) introduced a bill to prohibit the government from banning meat in federal agency cafeterias. She introduced it in response to a proposal from the Agriculture Department which encouraged its employees to stop eating meat one day a week to help save both themselves and the planet. The idea is that animals are a source of pollution since they produce greenhouse gases, and beef production requires the use of water, fertilizer, fossil fuels, and pesticides, plus USDA further said that excessive consumption of meat is considered unhealthy.
A 2012 newsletter from the USDA said, “Did you notice that our cafeterias have tasty meatless options? So you can really help yourself and the environment while having a good vegetarian meal!”
Ernst disagreed, however, stating, “Our federal agencies shouldn’t be encouraging people to ban agricultural products at the expense of America’s hardworking farmers and producers. Congress needs to make its intention known that we should get ‘Meatless Mondays’ and other types of activist bans against agricultural products out of our government dining halls.”
Letter to President Biden Urging Vegetarian Options in Federal Facilities
July 26, 2022
Dear President Biden:
We write to you with great enthusiasm for the upcoming White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health to be hosted in September. As you consider proposals to end hunger in America, improve health and nutrition and promote exercise, we urge you to strongly encourage all federal agencies to make a vegetarian entrée available everywhere that federal government cafeterias are serving meals—from federal agencies, museums and national parks to prisons and military bases.
Plant-based meals have dramatic health benefits for our people, lowering the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Making a vegetarian entrée available at federal facilities will help federal workers and visitors get more protein and nutrients from plants.
Providing vegetarian entrées at federal facilities can also advance the health of our environment by reducing the federal government’s carbon footprint. American livestock farming is a significant contributor of greenhouse gas emissions. Livestock and waste from animals together produce significant levels of methane emission, while fertilizers used to grow animal feed create substantial nitrous oxide emissions, which are 300 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Helping the population access plant-based options can help us lower our carbon footprint.
More and more Americans are interested in vegetarian options—especially younger Americans, who are seeking out healthier options that also reduce their carbon footprint. Although the Food Service Guidelines for Federal Facilities recommends that federal facilities “offer protein foods from plants” and defines an entrée as “meat” or “meat alternate,” vegetarian entrées are still not routinely provided at federal facilities. Let’s help make nutritious and delicious vegetarian entrées more readily available to federal workers, visitors, and Americans.
Thanks to your leadership, our nation is working to end hunger and meet our country’s health and environmental challenges. To help ensure the federal government is leading through its own food practices, we urge you to make a vegetarian entrée available everywhere the federal government is serving our people a meal.
