March 18, 2026

Herbicides, Pesticides and Chemicals: Watch What They are Doing, Not What They’re Saying 

After all of the rhetoric from Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services about healthier foods and food systems, here’s what the Trump administration has recently done on herbicides, pesticides and chemicals.

By Howard A. Learner, Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director

First, President Trump issued an executive order to boost production of the herbicide glyphosate, better known as Roundup. Glyphosate is a weedkiller that is often applied to crops, such as corn and soybeans, that have been genetically modified to withstand its effects. There is growing scientific research assessing the impacts of glyphosate on public health and potential cancer risks.  President Trump’s action has the MAHA advocates up in arms.

Second, after Trump EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin met with pesticide-manufacturer Bayer’s CEO, the Justice Department weighed in to support Bayer’s request that the U.S. Supreme Court hear its appeal in Monsanto v. Durnell. In January, the Supreme Court agreed to hear Bayer’s appeal seeking a shield against liability for the health harms linked to pesticides. Oral argument is set for April 27, 2026.

Third, the Trump EPA has proposed weaker regulations for the nation’s most hazardous chemical facilities. It proposes revisions to the EPA’s Risk Management Program that would reduce oversight and rescind “most of the public information availability provisions of the RMP SCCAP rule.”

Watch what they are doing, not just what they are saying.

Howard A. Learner,

Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director

Howard Learner is an experienced attorney serving as the Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center. He is responsible for ELPC’s overall strategic leadership, policy direction, and financial platform.

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