WASHINGTON — Greek yogurt has come between New York’s two Democratic senators.
The US Department of Agriculture’s announcement that New York was included in a pilot program to put Greek yogurt on school menus has exposed a rift between Charles Schumer and Kirstin Gillibrand, who both claimed credit.
In the past, the two allies have choreographed their turns in the spotlight, with Gillibrand giving wide berth to the senior senator and Schumer allowing his junior colleague to carve out pet causes.
This time, Schumer and Gillibrand issued dueling press releases to tout their leading role in boosting the state’s Greek yogurt producers, including Chobani, Fage, Alpina and Muller Quaker. Neither senator mentioned the other.
“Schumer has long fought to make New York the Greek yogurt capital of the United States,” declared Schumer’s release.
Plugging her role as the first New York senator to serve on the Agriculture Committee in nearly 40 years, Gillibrand claimed that she worked “with the USDA and New York yogurt manufacturers to create this pilot program.”
Still, he gave “primary credit” to Schumer.
Both their offices insisted they weren’t hogging credit.
“Why they don’t all just work together, I don’t know,” said a Capitol Hill aide familiar with the yogurt politicking.
Bruce Krupke, executive vice president of the Northeast Dairy Association, said that “the credit should be evenly spread around between the industry, the senators and even Gov. Cuomo,” who held a yogurt summit last year.