The new MAHA action plan provides evidence that industry stepped in and said, ‘not while we are in charge.’
What’s telling is not only what’s in the report, but what has been removed from the report, including any effort to address corporate capture of regulatory agencies by the chemical industry.
In some places, the MAHA plan reads like a gift to health-harming industries, such as the proposed public education campaign to convince Americans that toxic pesticides are safe instead of coming up with policies that would actually reduce harmful pesticide exposures, which is what MAHA moms have been asking for.
America deserves better.
The MAHA plan is correct that ultra processed foods and harmful chemical exposures are harming children’s health. But the plan does not propose real solutions that stop corporations from putting toxic chemicals in our air, food, water, and products.
The plan says it is important to address cumulative chemical exposures but takes a step backward by promoting the chemical industry’s wish to narrow the group of chemicals that can be considered together. It also proposes changes to toxicity testing that could undermine public health.
The plan acknowledges that microplastics impact health, but their solution is more research rather than policies to reduce plastics. (We urge the Secretary to review the systematic review we conducted that found microplastics are “suspected” to cause cancer, infertility, and respiratory harms.)
Finally, the plan acknowledges the importance of NIEHS’ ECHO (Environmental influences on Children’s Health Outcomes) research while the current administration has been shutting down similar research and gutting NIH’s budget.
