Moms Across America, United We Eat, and more than 500 Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) grassroots leaders and organizations have sent a sign-on letter to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the MAHA Commission, urging immediate and decisive action against toxic pesticides threatening public health. The letter also strongly opposes Congressional efforts to shield pesticide manufacturers from liability.

Among the signers is Charles Eisenstein, who served as HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s chief speechwriter during the presidential campaign. Eisenstein recently emphasized the need for MAHA leaders to “push Republicans to prioritize Americans’ health over pesticide maker profits.”

Section 453 of the House Appropriations Bill, scheduled for a vote on Tuesday, July 22, contains language that would grant any foreign or domestic company immunity from liability for its pesticides—including chemicals linked to cancer (glyphosate) and Parkinson’s disease (paraquat).

“Rather than reformulating their products, manufacturers are spending tens of millions on lobbyists and lawyers to manipulate our elected officials to change the laws of our established democracy to prevent lawsuits and protect their profits,” said Zen Honeycut, founder of Moms Across America and a key MAHA leader. “If House Republicans fail to remove this dangerous and unjust provision from the bill, they risk losing support from a very influential MAHA voter block in the mid-term elections.”

The letter comes amid growing concern that the administration is ignoring MAHA’s demands to restrict health-harming pesticides. Notably, Kyle Kunkler—a former top lobbyist for the American Soybean Association and advocate for Monsanto’s glyphosate-based Roundup—has been appointed to oversee pesticides at the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.

“Our children are being systematically poisoned, our government’s safety assessments have failed to protect American families,” said Dave Murphy, founder of United We Eat and former fundraiser for the Kennedy campaign. “The EPA relies on industry-funded science for their safety assessments, and placing a pesticide industry lobbyist in charge of determining the safety of pesticides is both dangerous and unacceptable.”

A two-year peer-reviewed study cited in the letter shows glyphosate exposure—even at levels deemed safe by regulators—is linked to six of the top ten most common cancers worldwide. The study also points to glyphosate’s role as an endocrine disruptor impacting fertility and reproduction.

The letter outlines the following recommendations for the MAHA Commission:

• Immediate bans on internationally prohibited pesticides such as glyphosate, atrazine, paraquat, and neonicotinoids.
• Closure of EPA loopholes allowing continued use of harmful pesticides without adequate safety reviews.
• Opposition to federal pesticide preemption and corporate liability shields.
• Increased investment in organic and regenerative agriculture to reduce taxpayer dependence on pesticide-based systems.
• Expanded training for farmers via the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service.
• Alignment of US pesticide residue limits with stricter global standards.

The letter underscores how pesticide dependency has led to a public health crisis, degraded soil, and ecosystem damage across food supply chains.

“If we truly aim to Make America Healthy Again, we must address the poisoning of our food, air, water, and most importantly, our children,” said Elizabeth Kucinich, a food and agriculture expert involved in the MAHA movement. “It’s time to prioritize health over corporate profits and give our children a clean, safe, and sustainable future.”

The push from the pesticide industry for legal immunity comes as Sen. Cory Booker’s Pesticide Injury Accountability Act gains widespread MAHA support. The bill would amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to create a clear federal right of action for those harmed by pesticides. It counters liability shields enacted in Republican-led states like Georgia and North Dakota.

MAHA leaders are currently lobbying Republican offices for co-sponsorship. The letter urges the MAHA Commission to immediately adopt these recommendations to protect American families and restore public trust in food safety.

Read the full letter below.

July 21, 2025

The Honorable Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Chair, MAHA Commission
Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20201

The Honorable Brooke Rollins
Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington D.C., 20250

The Honorable Lee Zeldin
Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington D.C., 20004

RE: In Defense of Health and Democracy — The MAHA Community Opposes Chemical Liability Shields and Supports Regenerative and Organic Agriculture

Dear Secretary Kennedy and MAHA Commission Members,

Our children are being poisoned. Every year, more than 1.1 billion pounds of pesticides are used to grow our crops in the U.S., including dozens of chemicals that are banned in other developed countries. These toxic substances are in our water, our food, and our bodies. They are damaging our ecosystems and contributing to our chronic illness crisis.

Rather than protect the public, our government agencies have enabled the widespread use of these toxic chemicals—often relying on industry-funded studies and allowing regulatory loopholes that put corporate profit ahead of public health.

Now, powerful pesticide companies are pushing Congress to make this injustice even worse. Section 453 of the House Appropriations Bill would give pesticide companies sweeping immunity from liability, even for toxic chemicals like glyphosate and paraquat, which are linked to cancer, Parkinson’s disease, infertility, and more. These provisions would deny Americans their right to seek justice in court and reward companies for decades of harm.

We, the undersigned MAHA grassroots leaders, organizations, and allies, call on the MAHA Commission to strongly oppose this outrageous provision and reject chemical industry immunity in all forms. We urge you to adopt the following recommendations and protect American families, farmers, and ecosystems from further harm:

1. Immediately ban glyphosate, atrazine, paraquat, neonicotinoids, and other pesticides already banned in other developed countries.
2. Close EPA loopholes that allow harmful pesticides to stay on the market without adequate safety reviews.
3. Reject federal pesticide preemption and uphold the rights of states and communities to restrict pesticide use.
4. Support the Pesticide Injury Accountability Act, which restores Americans’ right to seek justice in court when harmed by pesticides.
5. Redirect taxpayer funds to support regenerative and organic agriculture, reducing dependence on toxic chemicals.
6. Expand USDA NRCS training and resources to help farmers adopt regenerative practices.
7. Align U.S. pesticide residue limits with international standards to ensure food safety.

We stand ready to support your leadership in defending health, justice, and democracy. Please take bold action to restore integrity to our food system and protect the American people from toxic harm.

Sincerely,
The undersigned MAHA grassroots leaders, organizations, and citizens

You can view the full list of signers here.