Stop Congress and States from Issuing Liability Waivers to 16,000 chemicals regulated by the EPA. Do we want to treat pesticides like vaccines and invitesafety problems?
Thanks to Dave Murphy who has explained what is going on and offers a petition to be sent to members of Congress fromMAHA grass roots organizations
This is a big problem. Complex story. I so appreciate Dave Murphy answering my questions and clarifying exactly what is going on, under our noses.—Nass
On June 22, 2023, Congress Introduced the Agricultural Labeling Uniformity Act. Bayer successfully courted bipartisan support in Congress when Representatives Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and Jim Costa (D-CA) introduced the new pesticide labeling bill to ensure “uniformity of labeling standards for pesticides that are backed by sound science and approved by the EPA.” However, the bill failed to pass -- and has not been re-introduced.
Instead, Bayer, pesticide manufacturers and Big Ag commodity groups formed an alliance with Farm Bureau and state and national corn, wheat, soybean, cotton and other main commodity groups to aggressively lobby state legislators across the state and introduce bills that would shield all pesticide manufacturers from future legitimate cancer lawsuits, protecting over 16,000 pesticides regulated under FIFRA.
This year they introduced bills in 12 states and have already succeeded in passing pesticide liability bills in Georgia and North Dakota so far. The governors of both states have already signed the bills and now the fight moves to Washington DC.
The Georgia bill also “shields fertilizer, plant growth regulators and pesticide manufacturers from liability if they fail to warn consumers about health risks beyond what federal regulators require.”
Look at the example of PFOAs: both the manufacturers and the government knew about their problems but chose to ignore them for decades. If these pesticide protection bills go through, government “ignorance” will be the golden goose that lets industry get away with poisoning us with no consequences.
https://www.macon.com/news/politics-government/article304187296.html
Governor signs
Links to the Agricultural Labeling Uniformity Act
Johnson Bill Establishes Ag Product Labeling Uniformity
dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/johnson-bill-establishes-ag-product-labeling-uniformity
Here is the letter. Please consider having yourself (MAHA supporter) or your organization’s representative sign it.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfzWByyWRv4ANliNS4MWZQztVoxTwL5F2ezVWLC6xPURCR5-w/viewform
Request for MAHA Caucus Leadership on Federal Preemption and Chemical Liability Shields & Support for Organic & Regenerative Agriculture
Dear [Rep/Senator] [Last Name],
RE: Request for Congressional Leadership: Stand Firm Against Federal Preemption and Chemical Liability Shields and Support Farmer Transition to Regenerative Agriculture
We write to you as members and supporters of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) community to thank you for your continued leadership and commitment to restoring integrity, transparency, and health to our national food and agriculture systems.
Your presence in Congress represents the moral and practical center of a movement that brings together Americans across the political spectrum around shared values of food safety, health freedom, and the protection of life at every stage.
We understand the immense pressure you face from powerful lobbying interests representing the chemical, pharmaceutical, and industrial agriculture sectors. These industries have long enjoyed outsized influence in shaping policy, often at the expense of public health and the health of our families and future generations.
A recent letter from 79 Members of Congress urging the administration to maintain the current agrichemical regime illustrates how aggressively this influence is being leveraged to preserve the status quo.
As you know, legislation has already been introduced in several states—including Georgia’s recently passed HB 211—that provides liability shields to chemical manufacturers, even when their products are tied to grave harm. The 2024 House Republican Farm Bill draft included language that would have preempted state pesticide protections and restricted Americans’ ability to seek redress through the courts.
This is a pivotal moment. We are witnessing a broader pattern of industry-driven efforts to erode the public’s right to accountability. Members of this caucus are deeply familiar with the consequences of liability shields in other sectors—most notably in the pharmaceutical industry.
The 1986 National Vaccine Injury Act interfered with families suing in federal court for vaccine injuries. The Supreme Court’s 2011 Bruesewitz decision removed the possibility of suing for vaccine injuries in state court, leaving many injured Americans without remedies, while providing an unprecedented liability shield and unprecedented profitability to the vaccine industry.
Extensive peer-reviewed research has credibly tied glyphosate to infertility, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and possible cancer, while atrazine is a known endocrine disruptor, and chlorpyrifos has been linked to serious neurological toxicity and developmental harm. Preventing Americans from being able to sue for injuries caused by pesticides and herbicides will only harm the American public, while providing a multi-billion-dollar gift to the industry. Shielding these corporations from liability would remove one of the last mechanisms the American people have to defend themselves. There is not a single reason for anyone (apart from the manufacturers) to be in favor of this bill.
We urge you and the MAHA Caucus to stand strong in the face of this pressure and reaffirm your public commitment to:
· Oppose any provision in the farm bill or other legislative vehicles that would grant immunity to chemical manufacturers.
· Block any attempt to preempt state-level pesticide restrictions or weaken existing accountability measures.
· Protect and restore funding for the National Organic Program, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service soil health initiatives, and regenerative organic agriculture research and transition support.
· Oppose the provision in the Senate Reconciliation bill that would increase commodity subsidies by $30 billion over 10 years for just 6 pesticide-intensive crops, thereby entrenching chemical intensive, soil depleting monocultures for a total of $75 billion in taxpayer funds for many years to come. Instead, any additional funds for agriculture should be used to assist farmers in their efforts to build soil health and transition away from harmful chemicals.
The MAHA Commission, chaired by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was established to address precisely these systemic challenges. It was created to lift the veil on regulatory failure and corporate capture and to chart a path forward that honors life, health, and liberty.
We are here to support your leadership. Please count on us as a resource for talking points, briefing materials, scientific references, public engagement strategies, and constituency support.
We stand ready to assist you in any way that strengthens your ability to champion this essential work in Congress. We also encourage you to actively invite your colleagues to join the MAHA Caucus. Together, we can build broad consensus, educate across the aisle, and inspire meaningful legislative change. The long-term health of our nation depends on principled leadership at this critical time.
Thank you again for your courage and conviction. Together, we can help ensure that America’s food and farm systems reflect the values of health, liberty, and American self-reliance that the MAHA movement was created to uphold. The families who steward our land and feed our nation should not be forced to carry the burden of corporate negligence while being stripped of the tools to defend their rights.
With respect and solidarity,
[Name]
On behalf of [Organization, if applicable]
[Contact Information]
Farm Bureau, who insures both farmers and the American people, and who claims to support farming, ought to be ashamed of themselves.
No more Poison
Pesticides
Chemicals