WATCH: Hyde-Smith pushes RFK Jr. on how ‘MAHA’ assessment of pesticides could affect U.S. farmers
May 20, 2025
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4:33Now PlayingWATCH: Hyde-Smith pushes RFK Jr. on how ‘MAHA’ assessment of pesticides could affect U.S. farmers
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as posted by the channelSen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., pressed Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Tuesday about what an upcoming report may say about the use of pesticides in U.S. agriculture.
The Trump administration is expected to release an assessment on Thursday that outlines its strategy on combatting chronic disease in American children.
“I am deeply concerned with reports from reliable sources, that's now appearing in the media, that the MAHA Commission's initial assessment, which is expected to be released this week, may unfairly target American agriculture, modern farming practices and the crop protection tools that roughly 2% of our population relies on to help feed the remaining 98%,” Hyde-Smith said.
The senator referred back to an executive order creating the “Make American Healthy Again” Commission that says Americans should have transparent data that avoids conflicts of interests.
“With respect to the subsections that I just mentioned regarding conflicts of interest skewing outcomes and perpetuating distrust, do you think American farmers and ranchers will believe you're living up to this principle when they read your initial assessment later this week?” she asked. “And it's no secret that you were involved with pesticide litigation prior to becoming secretary. Has your past or personal opinions influenced the initial assessment in any way?”
“Your information about the report is just simply wrong,” said Kennedy, who was testifying before the Senate Appropriations health subcommittee.
"The drafts that I've seen, there is not a single word in them that should worry the American farmer,” he added.
Earlier in the hearing, the secretary told Maine Sen. Susan Collins that one of his "unfunded priorities" for his agency is to study “how chemicals that we're using in agriculture are sickening farmers in many cases, potentially, and are destroying the microbiome and creating a situation where soil is running off and where most agronomists believe that we only have 60 harvests left.”
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