Barrett Launches Final Pillar of Reform Agenda to Make America Healthy Again

July 28, 2026
Press Release

Bills Would Promote Healthier And Safer Baby Food, Commissary Food, School Lunches, And More

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Tom Barrett (MI-07) today launched the sixth and final pillar of his Blueprint for a Better America: Make America Healthy Again, introducing four bills to make baby formula healthier and safer, increase fresh healthy food options for military families, inform parents about what’s in their children’s school meals, and encourage a minimum amount of school recess.

“Parents shouldn’t have to worry about what’s in the food they buy for their kids — especially those taking care of a newborn or military families raising kids while one parent is away defending our country,” said Barrett. “It’s time we enact serious reforms to give Americans transparency and access to real, healthy options. Whether it's a cafeteria, a commissary, or a grocery store, all of our communities deserve policies that put people’s well-being first and make it easier to raise healthy families.”

The four bills included in Barrett’s plan to Make America Healthy Again are: 

  • Safe Baby Formula Act (H.R. 9949) to ban, as close to zero as possible, all toxic heavy metals from baby formula and require the Food and Drug Administration to study the effects of metals in formula.
  • Healthy Commissaries, Healthy Families Act (H.R. 9950) to require the Department of Defense to partner with local farmers and expand healthy food options in military commissaries — the department-run stores for service members, retirees, and their families.
  • Know What’s on the Tray Act (H.R. 9951) to require schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program to publish information about each menu item on the school website so parents can know what their children are eating: the item’s ingredient list, the item’s manufacturer or producer, the location where the item was produced, and whether the item is locally sourced or produced on a family farm.
  • Healthy Recess for Learning Act (H.R. 9952) to encourage elementary and middle schools to expand recess to at least 60 minutes a day.

Barrett has previously led and supported several initiatives aimed at addressing America’s declining physical and mental health, including:

  • Introducing the Great American Healthcare Plan to expand access to tax-free health savings accounts (HSAs) and allow people to use HSAs to pay for nutritious food, vitamins, gym memberships, and other healthy lifestyle choices.
  • Helping pass a Farm Bill amendment to preserve states’ ability to hold pesticide makers accountable for harmful products.
  • Voted in support of a Farm Bill amendment to prevent SNAP benefits from being used to purchase sugary sodas.
  • Introduced the Tech Wellness for Young Men Act and the Tech Wellness for Men Act to study how screen time and video game use may affect the mental health and well-being of boys and young men.

About Barrett’s Blueprint for a Better America: