What would you do for a Klondike Choco Taco?
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., says he would invoke the Defense Production Act to keep them on store shelves after the ice cream giant announced it would discontinue the iconic packaged dessert.
Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., who is also an Army veteran, said he would introduce a similar bill in the House.
“I’ll introduce the House companion @ChrisMurphyCT,” he tweeted. “This cannot stand.”
The “Choco Taco” is ice cream wedged in a cone shaped like a taco shell, and smothered in peanuts and chocolate. It’s been in production since 1983, meaning Klondike made the decision to kill it on the eve of its 40th birthday.
And while the senator and congressman were tweeting in jest, there really is no basis for the Defense Production Act to be used this way.
Unfortunately, the Defense Production Act is a “primary source of presidential authorities to expedite and expand the supply of materials and services from the U.S. industrial base needed to promote the national defense.”
So unless there was significant proof that the lack of Choco Tacos is a detriment to national security, it’s unlikely that President Joe Biden would intervene on their behalf.
And although there is a provision defined under the Defense Production Act for “Food Resources,” the necessity of the Choco Taco doesn’t seem like it would past muster compared to things like the need for potable water.
Moreover, it’s hard to imagine which defense company would win the contract after the Pentagon puts out a Request for Proposal to build the best Choco Taco.
Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrup Grumman? The F-35 of Choco Tacos would likely take decades to field, and the cost overruns would be unimaginable. Frankly, we just don’t have the time or money for that.
‘Til Valhalla, Choco Taco.
Sarah Sicard is a Senior Editor with Military Times. She previously served as the Digitial Editor of Military Times and the Army Times Editor. Other work can be found at National Defense Magazine, Task & Purpose, and Defense News.
