Grassley, Colleagues Seek to Protect MAHA Commission from Anti-Science Activists

Grassley, Colleagues Seek to Protect MAHA Commission from Anti-Science Activists

WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and a lifelong family farmer, joined Sens. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), along with Reps. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) and Mark Alford (R-Mo.), in a letter urging the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission to use sound science and risk-based analysis in its policy decisions, particularly on crop protection tools and food-grade ingredients.

The letter was sent to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin.

"We write to express our strong appreciation for your leadership and interest in working with each of you to ensure America has the healthiest people in the world. In recent decades, chronic illness rates have risen. This warrants our careful scrutiny to support better health outcomes. It is essential that policies supported by sound science and risk-based analyses are used to accomplish this goal," the lawmakers wrote.

"We have concerns that environmentalists are advancing harmful health, economic, or food security policies under the guise of human health. Despite insinuations to the contrary, 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," they continued.

In the Senate, additional signers include Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.).

In the House, additional signers include Reps. Mike Flood (R-Neb.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Adrian Smith (R-Neb.), Michael Baumgartner (R-Wash.), Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), Mike Bost (R-Ill.), James Comer (R-Ky.), Troy Downing (R-Mont.), Jake Ellzey (R-Texas), Gabe Evans (R-Colo.), Mike Ezell (R-Miss.), Vince Fong (R-Calif.), Michael Guest (R-Miss.), Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), David Kustoff (R-Tenn.), Darin LaHood (R-Ill.), Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.), Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), Tracy Mann (R-Kan.), Mark Messmer (R-Ind.), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), Derek Schmidt (R-Kan.), Austin Scott (R-Ga.), Jefferson Shreve (R-Ind.), Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), David Valadao (R-Calif.) and Ann Wagner (R-Mo.).

Text of the letter follows:

Dear Secretary Kennedy, Secretary Rollins, and Administrator Zeldin:

We write to express our strong appreciation for your leadership and interest in working with each of you to ensure America has the healthiest people in the world. In recent decades, chronic illness rates have risen. This warrants our careful scrutiny and to support better health outcomes. It is essential that policies supported by sound science and risk-based analyses are used to accomplish this goal.

We also urge you to safeguard the work of the Make America Healthy Again Commission (Commission) from activist groups promoting misguided and sometimes even malicious policies masquerading as health solutions. The influence of these groups in the Commission would result in shoddy science; a less abundant, less affordable food supply; greater reliance on foreign adversaries for our food; diminished U.S. agricultural production and manufacturing; and, ultimately, poorer health outcomes.

President Trump recently stated environmental activists were holding the economic prosperity of our country hostage. We now have concerns that they are seeking to influence the work of the Commission to advance their agenda. For decades activist groups have tried to ban safe, well-regulated agricultural inputs by any means necessary. 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 same groups have seized upon the Commission's work as an opportunity to misrepresent the science on common food and feed categories or ingredients, such as plant-based oils. These inputs are subject to a robust, risk-based regulatory system which focuses on protecting human health. 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.

We have concerns that environmentalists are advancing harmful health, economic, or food security policies under the guise of human health. Despite insinuations to the contrary, 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.

We applaud the Commission's desire to improve the health and well-being of Americans. We implore you to ensure policy decisions are grounded in sound science and risk-based analyses. With unity, we can protect American agricultural producers from environmental activists' attacks on proven-safe inputs critical to their profitability and long-term viability while promoting positive health outcomes.

-30-

• Print
• Email
• Like
• Tweet