{"id":40999,"date":"2026-02-23T00:01:17","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T05:01:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/?p=40999"},"modified":"2026-02-24T11:05:53","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T16:05:53","slug":"congressional-committee-hears-farm-bill-today-if-passed-as-written-will-revoke-protections-from-pesticides","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2026\/02\/congressional-committee-hears-farm-bill-today-if-passed-as-written-will-revoke-protections-from-pesticides\/","title":{"rendered":"Congressional Committee Hears Farm Bill March 3; If Passed as Written Will Revoke Protections from Pesticides"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

(Beyond Pesticides<\/em>, February 23, 2026)\u00a0Amid polarization in the U.S. Congress, key legal protections from pesticides will be revoked with passage of the GOP Farm Bill<\/a> being debated March 3 in the House Agriculture Committee, despite a growing body of science that shows farmers, consumers, and the environment are facing escalating health and safety threats. In this context, grassroots efforts are underway asking Congressional representative to advocate for the removal of Farm Bill, Title X, Subtitle C, Part 1, which contains attacks on foundational protections from pesticides for farmers, consumers, and the environment\u2014and vote against the Farm Bill if those provisions are not removed.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\r\n

As provisions in the GOP Farm Bill (Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026<\/em>, H.R. 7567) that slash protections from pesticides go to a vote in the Agriculture Committee, health and environmental advocates are calling for committee members to remove the weakening section\u2014Section X, Subtitle C, Part 1, on \u201cRegulatory Reform.\u201d At a time when documented adverse effects from pesticide exposure are skyrocketing and sustainable practices have become widely available, the bill is being characterized as a wish-list for the chemical industry. Recent studies demonstrating connections between prenatal and postnatal exposure to pesticides and severe consequences for children,\u00a0including\u00a0childhood cancers<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes<\/a>\u00a0in children, underscore what are being called unnecessary dangers of agriculture that relies on toxic pesticides.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

Besides\u00a0leukemia<\/a>\u00a0and other cancers, childhood or in utero exposure to pesticides leads to greater risk of\u00a0asthma<\/a>,\u00a0ADHD<\/a>, reproductive hormone production in\u00a0girls<\/a>,\u00a0cardiometabolic disorders<\/a>\u00a0in boys, and\u00a0suppression of the immune system<\/a>, among\u00a0other problems<\/a>.\u00a0These outcomes are unnecessary, since organic agriculture can produce any product produced by chemical-intensive agriculture. With future agriculture policy now under consideration, it is important that the Farm Bill not be used to prop up the chemical\u00a0industry, but\u00a0instead support organic agriculture that will not threaten vulnerable populations.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

Central to the\u00a0GOP Farm Bill<\/a>, released by the chair of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee on February 13, is the overturning of three core safeguards that are seen as critical to the health of farmers, consumers and the environment\u2014judicial review of chemical manufacturers’ failure to warn about pesticide hazards, the democratic right of local governments in coordination with states to protect residents from pesticide use, and local site-specific action to ensure the safety of air, water, and land from pesticides. Subtitle C of Title X, Part 1, “Regulatory Reform”, is a sweeping set of exemptions, waivers, and revocations undermining 50 years of laws adopted by Congress to protect farmers, consumers, and the environment. The markup on March 3 offers U.S. Representatives an opportunity to make changes.<\/p>\r\n

There is opposition to the bill in Congress. Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) condemned\u00a0the GOP 2026 Farm Bill, saying it would be \u201c’very difficult, if not impossible’\u00a0for her to back a GOP-led farm bill because it contains ‘poison pills’\u00a0and doesn’t do enough to aid struggling farmers,\u201d according to\u00a0Politico<\/a><\/em>.\u00a0Make America Healthy Again advocates are also incensed over the provision that grants chemical companies immunity from lawsuits for injury when they fail to provide complete safety warnings. Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME) has indicated that she will seek to strike provisions of the bill.<\/p>\r\n

Specifically, Subtitle C of Title X (entitled “Regulatory Reform”)\u00a0contains\u00a0the following provisions that threaten human health, the ability of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to keep foods free of dangerous chemicals, and that expose the environment to even greater toxic pesticides:\u00a0<\/p>\r\n