USDA: Dump Surplus Cheese on Sens. Ted Cruz and Tom Cotton

Yesterday, members of Congress voted on Texas queso (melted cheese) versus Arkansas cheese dip (Arkansas “won”). Finally, a solution for what the U.S. Department of Agriculture should do with its millions of pounds of surplus cheese: Dump it on Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, the cheese-obsessed senators who started the cheesy rivalry. It’s better than the USDA’s current plan to distribute the disease-causing stuff to federal food programs.

I say let these cheese-loving members of Congress foot the USDA’s $20 million cheese bill. But as a physician, I have to warn them: Typical cheeses are 70 percent fat and are among the foods highest in cholesterol and sodium, exacerbating obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

The USDA could then take that $20 million and purchase more fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains that will help keep federal food program participants healthy. If you agree, sign our petition telling the USDA not to dump fatty cheese into federal food programs.