Members of the U.S. House of Representatives gave a Christmas present to America’s school children last week when it made a radical decision.

It allowed whole milk in schools.

Our first reaction: Why would anyone ban one of the most nutritious beverages on the planet from school lunches in the first place?

The answer, of course, was politics.

By a 330-99 vote, members of the House unraveled a kooky rule the food police at USDA had imposed on schools. In 2012, the agency took whole milk away from school children, limiting their choices to fat-free milk in the school lunch program. Their one concession was allowing flavored milk.

It was as though USDA was trying to do two equally nefarious things.

It made kids drink the least nutritious form of milk — all the while complaining that they didn’t get enough vitamins and minerals. For growing children, whole milk is the ticket to good health, yet USDA was sabotaging them.

It also was punishing the nation’s dairy farmers, who had been doing absolutely nothing wrong. They were producing wholesome milk, but USDA demanded that the non-fat version be given to children. The reason the agency gave was that fat in milk caused the total amount of fat allowed in school lunches to be exceeded.

Mind you, school children are not super models. Children need calories, vitamins, minerals and fats to grow healthy and strong. Anyone who has ever raised a child knows this.

Rep. Glenn “G.T.” Thompson, the Republican chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, was the prime sponsor of the bill, called the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2023.

In the Northwest, Oregon Republican Reps. Cliff Bentz and Lori Chavez-DeRemer signed on as co-sponsors, as did Washington Reps. Dan Newhouse, a Republican, and Suzan DelBene, a Democrat.

Rep. Kim Schrier, a Washington pediatrician, was also a sponsor.

“A healthy diet early in life leads to proper physical growth, improved academic performance, and a strong foundation for healthy eating habits as an adult. Milk, which provides essential calcium, phosphorous, and vitamin D, is an essential part of that diet,” Schrier, a Democrat, said. “Whole milk is a filling, nutritious option that will help ensure that our children are well-fed and healthy.”

That about says it all. One would think any member of the House would embrace this simple and common sense bill, but we found several members of the Northwest delegation who voted against whole milk — and dairy farmers.

Among them were Oregon Democrats Earl Blumenauer and Suzanne Bonamici and Washington Democrats Pramila Jayapal and Marilyn Strickland.

The bill now goes to the U.S. Senate. We look forward to seeing how that esteemed body decides this issue. Our hope is that they will support healthy food for healthy kids and pass the bill.

Common sense appears to be in short supply in Washington, D.C., these days. Senate passage of this bill would show that, though in limited quantities, it still exists.