Lawmakers to MAHA: Rely on the Science & Protect America’s Food System

Republican lawmakers are calling on the Trump administration to use “sound science and risk-based analysis” as the Make America Healthy Again Commission completes its review and recommendations to address health issues across the country.

Earlier this week, Sens. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Deb Fischer (R-NE), along with Congressmen Randy Feenstra (R-IA-04) and Mark Alford (R-MO-04), led a bicameral group of nearly 80 lawmakers on a letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. In the letter, lawmakers express appreciation for the commission’s work to improve Americans’ health but implored the group to use sound science, specifically on pesticide tools and food-grade ingredients.

The lawmakers expressed concerns that environmentalists will seize this opportunity to influence the MAHA Commission through false claims that are not backed by science and prove harmful to agriculture and consumers.

“For decades activist groups have tried to ban safe, well-regulated agricultural inputs by any means necessary,” the lawmakers write. “Without these products, yields and quality are negatively impacted by otherwise avoidable insects, fungus, weeds, and other pest pressures. This drives up food prices for American consumers and forces reliance of food imports.”

The letter points out that regular testing by FDA and USDA finds that more than 99% of all pesticide residues meet extremely conservative limits established by EPA according to the best available science.

Lawmakers also expressed concerns regarding misrepresentation of the science on food categories, like plant-based oils.

“These inputs are subject to a robust, risk-based regulatory system which focuses on protecting human health,” the letter states. “Unfounded accusations harm the U.S. farmers who grow our food, upend food and feed supply chains, and significantly increase grocery food prices – all without public health benefit.”

What ASA is doing: ASA led coalition efforts last week to support the letter to the MAHA Commission. Along with soy states, ASA urged soy growers to reach out to their lawmakers to sign. ASA continues communicating with the administration and underscoring the importance of decisions based in sound science, specifically regarding pesticide products and seed oils.

What ASA is saying: ASA and other ag leaders expressed support for lawmakers’ efforts to ensure MAHA looks to the data and science for decisions on pesticide tools and food grade ingredients. In a news release from Rep. Alford’s office, ASA President Caleb Ragland (KY) was quoted: “ASA applauds the efforts of Representatives Alford and Feenstra and Senators Ricketts and Fischer to conduct needed oversight on the work of the Make America Healthy Again Commission. Farmers agree it is important that we consider ways to improve Americans’ health, but it is also essential that this work be grounded in sound science. We have seen activist groups trying to blatantly influence the work of the commission without basing their claims in the mountains of credible science that exist on seed oils, pesticide use, and other topics critical to agriculture and feeding our country. We thank these congressional leaders for working to ensure safeguards are in place to prevent activist groups from using the MAHA Commission to carry out their long-standing goals based on conjecture and in turn disrupting American agriculture and our food supplies.”

Verified by MonsterInsights