The timing could not have been better.
On Monday, April 27th from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., hundreds showed up for a rally at the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. called The People vs Poison, organized by Food Babe, Vani Hari and The Highwire team. Over 30 speakers all had different talking points about glyphosate, pesticides in the food, water, air, and how they are not only contaminating everything, but how the manufacturers are corrupting our government. Watch the dynamic rally speakers here.
Just after the rally, at 1 p.m., the House Rules Committee met to discuss whether or not to include the amendments proposed to remove the pesticide immunity and EPA limitation provisions in the Farm Bill. Only about ten people besides staff were allowed in the room and thanks to Dennis Kucinich and his wife Elizabeth, I was one of them, grateful to be able to represent the moms and our families.
In the Rules hearing, Rep. GT Thompson (R), the sponsor of the Farm Bill and main proponent of the pesticide immunity clauses, was grilled by Rep. Jim McGovern (D). When asked if he thought glyphosate was safe, Rep. Thompson hedged and said that his opinion was not important, but that the science was what mattered and the EPA had that science. Rep. Thompson denied that the Farm Bill contained immunity for lawsuits and that lawsuits could still be filed against “bad actors.” He even asserted that, according to the Farm Bill, a state could refuse to register a pesticide (which they can already do). When asked if the provision in the Farm Bill that gives immunity to the chemical companies was there because of Monsanto’s lawsuits, again, he avoided answering, clearly uncomfortable with the truth. Reps. McGovern and Thompson argued vigorously. Rep. McGovern even asked Rep. Thompson to turn to us, the people behind him who have loved ones who have been harmed by glyphosate, and speak to us. He did not.
Then, at 4 p.m. the same day, the House of Appropriations held an EPA hearing. Rep. Chellie Pingree and Rep. Rosa DeLauro grilled the EPA head, Lee Zeldin, on the proposed 52 percent budget cutbacks to their own staffhead of the EPA, Lee Zeldin, on the proposed budget cutbacks by 52 percent for their own staff, and on the safety of glyphosate. Here’s where a real gem happened. Rep. Rosa DeLauro held up her coffee cup and asked, “Glyphosate?” implying, should I drink it?
Lee Zeldin then responded, “Glyphosate: don’t drink it, don’t inject it.”
Well, well. It appears that he has read the science! Monsanto’s own animal studies have shown that glyphosate contributes to cancer and gut damage when eaten and causes harm when injected. Finally, a head of the EPA who admits it is not safe. Later in the hearing, he even stated, “Do not ingest glyphosate.”
Ingest means to eat.
He basically said:
- Do not eat glyphosate.
- Do not eat food with glyphosate on it.
- Do not eat the majority of conventional food, especially grains, ie: bread, because 52 percent of breads tested contained glyphosate residues far above the level (0.1 ppb) shown to cause sex hormone changes and liver and kidney damage.
- Do not eat the 69 percent of Non-GMO Project Verified foods tested that were positive for glyphosate.
- Do not drink water, which is 70 percent positive for glyphosate according to The Detox Project.
- Do not eat the 80-100 percent of foods, like chickpeas and lentils, that have been shown to be positive for glyphosate.
- Do not eat a fish from a stream, which has been found to be 81 percent positive for glyphosate.
- Do not eat out at a restaurant, because the food tested was 89 percent positive for glyphosate.
- Do not eat school lunches, which have been shown to be 93 percent positive for glyphosate.
- Do not eat fast food or military food, which has been shown to be 100 percent positive for glyphosate.
- Do not let your child open their mouth up in the rain, which has been shown to be 100 percent positive for glyphosate.
While the EPA continues to allow glyphosate to be sprayed as a weedkiller and drying agent (the EU does not allow glyphosate as a drying agent) on our animal feed and food crops to the tune of 280 million pounds a year, we wonder - pray tell, Mr. Zeldin - what are we supposed to ingest?
The next day, Tuesday, The Moms Across America Movement had five groups of mothers and others meeting with Representative staffers to call for the pesticide immunity and EPA restrictions to be removed from the Farm Bill. Other groups met with staff on Wednesday. Thousands called, emailed, and posted on X, directly targeting the policy makers. The offices were bombarded with constituents speaking up. Nearly every month for over a year, the Moms Across America movement has had lobby days in DC to educate our elected officials about pesticides and food.
Two days after the rally, on Wednesday, the House held the vote on whether they would vote on the Farm Bill and its amendments. In the wee hours of the night, thinking they could get away with it, they held a roll call and the speaker deemed the nays had it. Rep. Luna quickly called for a roll call recorded vote and the next day it was determined that the Ayes had it. On Thursday morning they had a recorded vote on Rep. Luna’s amendment to remove sections 10205, 10206, and 10207, the pesticide immunity, state right restrictions, and water contamination pesticide regulation rollbacks. The Ayes had it and it was removed from the Farm Bill. Seventy-three Republicans and 207 Democrats voted for the removal of these pesticide clauses.
It was historic. Never in recorded history have there been so many elected officials who have voted against the pesticide industry.
The people spoke up, and miraculously, 280 of our elected officials listened and acted on behalf of the health movement.
The timing could not have been better.
On Monday, April 27th from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., hundreds showed up for a rally at the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. called The People vs Poison, organized by Food Babe, Vani Hari and The Highwire team. Over 30 speakers all had different talking points about glyphosate, pesticides in the food, water, air, and how they are not only contaminating everything, but how the manufacturers are corrupting our government. Watch the dynamic rally speakers here.
On Thursday, April 30, the Farm Bill passed the House. While it still contained provisions that are egregiously harmful to human and wildlife health, such as sections 10201-10204 that delay EPA pesticide reviews by five years, allow the USDA to potentially veto the EPA pesticides restrictions due to economic benefit, and remove dozens of pesticides permanently from ever being reviewed, the people have spoken and the Senate is well aware we want none of that.
The Senate is expected to release their own version of the Farm Bill within weeks.
Experts are weighing in.
The chemical companies are lobbying hard for their special interests.
Mothers and others interested in being able to eat food and drink water and live are also speaking up.
- We believe common sense will win.
- We believe in the courage of our elected officials.
- We believe the facts.
- We believe in independent science.
- We believe in rights.
- We believe in life.