MAHA advocates urge Trump to block pesticide liability protections in House spending bill

By lauraharris // 2025-08-19

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Over 240 supporters of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission have urged President Trump to block Sections 453 and 507 of the FY 2026 House appropriations bill, which they say grant sweeping legal immunity to pesticide and chemical manufacturers.
The letter warns that Section 453 would halt safety reviews for more than 57,000 synthetic chemicals, while Section 507 would prevent the EPA from finalizing risk assessments for harmful PFAS "forever chemicals" contaminating over 70 million acres of U.S. farmland.
MAHA advocates highlight that more than 1.1 billion pounds of pesticides, many banned in other developed nations, are used annually in the U.S., contributing to cancer, hormone disruption, infertility and neurological damage, especially in children.
The group urges Trump to use his influence to strip the controversial sections from the bill, framing it as a nonpartisan move to protect families, farmers and Americans' right to legal recourse against chemical harms.
Drawing comparisons to Reagan's 1986 vaccine liability law, the advocates warn that repeating such a policy error with pesticide immunity could betray the public trust and cost Republicans politically in the 2026 midterms.

More than 240 advocates of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission are urging President Donald Trump to block two controversial sections of the FY 2026 House Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill that grant "broad product liability protections" to pesticide and chemical manufacturers. In a seven-page letter dated Aug. 11, 241 MAHA supporters urged the president to prevent the House of Representatives from moving forward with Sections 453 and 507 in the House spending package, provisions that "gut vital pesticide protections" and shield corporations from responsibility for exposing Americans to harmful chemicals. The signatories claim that Section 453 would freeze the legally required safety reassessments for more than 57,000 synthetic chemicals, preventing updates to warning labels and enabling continued use without oversight. Section 507, meanwhile, blocks the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from finalizing risk assessments on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) "forever chemicals" found in biosolids – waste materials spread across more than 70 million acres of U.S. farmland. PFAS compounds like perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) are linked to cancer, abnormal fetal development, hormone disruption and reproductive damage. Several U.S. farms have already been shut down due to contamination and the letter warns that failure to act will put public health further at risk. The letter cites data showing over 1.1 billion pounds of pesticides are used on U.S. farmland each year, including chemicals like glyphosate, atrazine and paraquat – substances already banned in many developed countries. The signatories warn that these chemicals are harming children's brain development, disrupting hormones and contributing to reproductive problems and several of the most common cancers in the United States. (Related: Sen. Cory Booker introduces Pesticide Injury Accountability Act to hold chemical companies liable for health harms.) In turn, the group calls on Trump to use his leadership to pressure Congress to strip the two sections from the bill and follow through on his promise to prioritize the health and safety of the American people over corporate interests. "Mr. President, if Make America Healthy Again is to mean anything, now is the time to act. Stripping Section 453 and Section 507 is not partisan – it's about protecting families, defending farmers and preserving the right to seek justice and accountability in our nation's courts. Americans across the spectrum want health, transparency and the right to be free of toxic chemicals that cause known physical harm to millions of Americans daily. "We ask you to take action to make sure any protections for pesticides are stricken from this Appropriations bill, especially Section 453 and Section 507, and urge you to act now to protect our people, preserve your legacy and show the nation that Make America Healthy Again is more than a campaign slogan. It's a promise," the MAHA advocates wrote.

MAHA advocates warn Trump not to repeat Reagan's "historic mistake"

The authors also draw comparisons between the current proposals and the "historic mistake" of former President Ronald Reagan: the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act, which gave legal immunity to vaccine manufacturers. "As we know all too well today, that well-intentioned but ill-advised decision created a free-for-all within the pharmaceutical industry that has harmed millions of Americans and one more enormous problem that has been left for your administration to correct. "It's unconscionable that Republicans in the House are now attempting to repeat that mistake by supporting similar broad liability shields for pesticides and forever chemicals," the MAHA advocates wrote. In other words, the authors warn that repeating Reagan's mistake with pesticide immunity would not only betray the public trust but saddle future generations with yet another preventable health crisis.

For more on environmental and human health protection, visit EPA.news. Watch Episode 426 of The HighWire with Del Bigtree discussing about pesticides, pills and politics.

This video is from The HighWire with Del Bigtree channel on Brighteon.com.

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MAHA advocates warn Trump not to repeat Reagan's "historic mistake"

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