Bizarre Senate Rule Has Media Tracking Milk Consumption, Drawing Romney’s ‘Unauthorized Bottle’

A cadre of reporters have been eyeing the milk consumption of senators in the impeachment trial chamber for a bizarre reason: Due to a procedural rule dating back to the mid-1960s, they’re expressly not prohibited from “sipping milk” during speeches. 

Practically speaking, the milk exemption means that thirsty senators, who have been forced to suffer through an impeachment trial that has gone until 2 a.m. on certain days, only have two drinking options: Milk and water.

But Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), who is not known for being a rule breaker, took his beverage game one step further, drawing the attention of media milk-hawks. 

According to the Wall Street Journal, Romney was spotted drinking from a glass bottle of chocolate milk on Tuesday afternoon, which prompted a Senate aide to remind him about the milk-sipping rule. Romney then disappeared into another room, and returned with his beverage of choice in a glass. According to CBS reporter Grace Seger, the Utah senator drank the glass “extremely quickly.”

While there is no explicit rule allowing chocolate milk, it’s presumably okay to drink since Romney was allowed to return once it was in a glass.

Romney’s milk moment was apparently momentous enough that Art Lien, a long-time courtroom sketch artist who is covering the impeachment trial, decided to draw him with the “unauthorized bottle,” according to the New York Times. 

Caught by pencil: Mitt Romney brings an unauthorized bottle (of chocolate milk) onto the Senate floor https://t.co/Ju8rBol8tj pic.twitter.com/fkZzxk6V9B

— NYT Graphics (@nytgraphics) January 28, 2020

During the 2012 presidential election campaign, Ann Romney told PARADE Magazine that her husband is a generally healthy snacker, but has a weakness for low-fat chocolate milk. 

While the milk consumption coverage has largely been an apolitical, light-hearted attempt to break up the monotony of a boring trial, Tom Cotton, who was the first senator spotted drinking milk during the impeachment trial, had a hilarious response to a reporter who has been eyeing the desks of senators for milk. 

“TOM COTTON HAS MILK! This is not a drill. He has a glass in addition to his glass of water. He is the first senator I’ve seen to request and get milk. I repeat, Tom Cotton has milk,” tweeted Segers. 

“It’s true, I had some milk with my chocolate,” responded Cotton on Twitter. “I guess I could’ve added vodka & had a White Russian (minus the Kahlua). But [Adam Schiff] probably would’ve accused me of collusion.”

It’s true, I had some milk with my chocolate.

I guess I could’ve added vodka & had a White Russian (minus the Kahlua). But @RepAdamSchiff probably would’ve accused me of collusion. https://t.co/JY4ca2oMUe

— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) January 22, 2020

According to Washingtonian, Joshua Eaton, a reporter for CQ Roll Call, has been tracking milk consumption on a spreadsheet, saying that “people like to latch on to these little bits of color, especially in things that are really heavy, or divisive, or partisan.”

By his estimate, the current leader of the pack is Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), who has drunk anywhere from four to six glasses.