WASHINGTON – Ahead of the midterm elections, the "Make America Healthy Again" movement that was key to President Donald Trump's return to the White House is causing friction within the Republican Party.
The emerging political fracture is already jeopardizing a critical piece of legislation that farmers across the country are awaiting. And it could have larger consequences for the GOP's control of Congress.
The evolving dynamic was on full display outside the Supreme Court on April 27, when a group of activists protested a case about shielding pesticide companies from cancer lawsuits. The justices appeared divided over whether Bayer, the manufacturer of the weedkiller Roundup, should be protected from billions of dollars in potential liability. The Trump administration has backed Bayer in court, yielding pushback from notable MAHA figures.
Read more: Supreme Court divided on Roundup cancer lawsuits
As activists rallied on the steps of the court, their debates mirrored ones that Republicans in Congress have been having for weeks on virtually the same issue. Rural lawmakers have been actively pushing to include a pro-pesticide provision in the upcoming farm bill. However, their more MAHA-oriented colleagues want no part of such an effort. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-South Carolina, even introduced an amendment to strip what she calls the "pesticide loophole" from the legislation.
