RFK Jr. Wants to Reshape US Health Policy. Good Luck With That

Kennedy’s previous makes him an unlikely candidate for agriculture secretary, in accordance with Daniel Glickman, who served within the position throughout Invoice Clinton’s presidency. “It’s arduous for me to think about, given Trump’s conventional base within the heartlands, that he would decide any individual who was an advocate for breaking apart massive farms and breaking consolidated agriculture,” says Glickman.

Like high posts at HHS, the USDA secretary place would must be confirmed by a Senate vote. “I don’t assume [Kennedy] is a slam dunk,” says Glickman.

Trump’s decide for USDA chief throughout his first time period was Sonny Perdue, a former governor of Georgia and founding father of an agricultural buying and selling firm. Most agriculture secretaries both have a background within the trade or politics—two essential constituencies for the one who will probably be accountable for a division that employs practically 100,000 and is made up of 29 companies, together with forestry, conservation, and vitamin packages. “The distinction between Sonny Perdue and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is like night time and day,” says Glickman.

If Kennedy had been to be confirmed as agriculture secretary, he would possibly battle to enact probably the most radical elements of his program. He’s an outspoken critic of pesticides, however the USDA is usually not accountable for regulating these, says Dan Blaustein-Rejto, director of agriculture coverage and analysis on the Breakthrough Institute. Slightly, the EPA regulates pesticides with public well being makes use of.

Though he might not have the ability to immediately affect pesticide rules, Kennedy has stated he would attempt to “weaponize” different agencies against “chemical agriculture” by commissioning scientific analysis into the results of pesticides. The USDA Agricultural Analysis Service has a virtually $2 billion discretionary funds for analysis into crops, livestocks, vitamin, meals security, and pure resources conservation.

There are different levers that an agriculture secretary may pull, says Blaustein-Rejto. The USDA is investing $3 billion through the partnership for climate-smart commodities—a scheme that’s presupposed to make US agriculture extra climate-friendly. A USDA chief would possibly have the ability to put their thumb on their scale by influencing the choice standards for these sorts of packages. The USDA additionally oversees the Commodity Credit score Company (CCC), which has a $5 billion fund that it makes use of to assist farm incomes and conservation packages, and to help farmers hit by pure disasters. It’s attainable {that a} USDA chief may affect how these CCC funds are distributed by the company.

Kennedy has additionally argued that company pursuits have captured the US’s dietary pointers, and he pledged to take away conflicts of curiosity from USDA teams that give you dietary pointers. US dietary pointers are developed collectively by the USDA and HHS and are up to date each 5 years, giving the agriculture secretary restricted alternatives to affect any suggestions.

“If RFK is in a high-level coverage position, I anticipate to see much more discuss ultra-processed meals, however I’m undecided what that will really entail with regards to the dietary pointers,” says Blaustein-Rejto.

The specialists WIRED spoke with largely assume Kennedy’s extra excessive positions will probably be constrained by forms. However the message that elevating a vocal vaccine skeptic and conspiracy theorist would ship stays a critical concern forward of a possible second Trump administration.