WASHINGTON — Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL4) is shooting back at a recent report released by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee that says a vegan diet is what’s best for the environment.
While it is perfectly reasonable for the committee to make recommendations for healthy eating, some are questioning whether crossing over into dictating the dietary choices of the nation to fight global warming is the government’s place. The advisory committee also suggests sticking to a diet high in fruits and vegetables, nuts, seafood, and whole grains.
“This Administration’s desire to move forward with its policies on the American people continues,” Rep. Aderholt said in a press release. “On February 19th a panel of so-called nutritional experts decided to issue new nutritional food guidelines; the panel recommended that Americans not eat red meat or at least reduce their consumption of red meat. Many of us feel that the panel did not make this recommendation out of nutritional concern, but rather, out of political concern.”
Representatives of America’s meat industry are also criticizing the committee’s findings saying they should stick to their expertise on nutrition and leave the argument of sustainability up to the environmental scientists.
“When you talk about the lens of the dietary guidelines it’s just not appropriate for the advisory committee to enter that conversation when they were asked to look at nutrition and health science,” said Kristina Butts, executive director of legislative affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
Even the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, leader of the agency that oversees the dietary guidelines committee, has admitted that making policy prescriptions outside the mandate of their governing laws is inappropriate.
“I read the actual law,” Vilsack said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. “And what I read … was that our job ultimately is to formulate dietary and nutrition guidelines. And I emphasize dietary and nutrition because that’s what the law says. I think it’s my responsibility to follow the law.”
Rep. Aderholt is adamant that the science surrounding both the environment and government dietary guidelines should be completely separated from politics.
“It claimed red meat is contributing to Global Warming or Climate Change… or whatever they are calling it this month,” Aderholt said. “Science through the prism of politics is not true science. As Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, please know that I will do what I can to ensure that such ‘expert’ panels stick to their designated tasks to prevent even further government overreach into the lives of Alabamians.”
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— Elizabeth BeShears (@LizEBeesh) January 21, 2015
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