06.11.25

Hoeven Makes Case To HHS Secretary RFK Jr. for Access to Crop Protection Tools, Flexibility in School Nutrition Standards

Senator, Ag Committee Colleagues Secure Commitment to Include Extensive Ag & School Nutrition Consultation in MAHA Strategy

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven this week met with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the White House to discuss progress on the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Strategy and advance the priorities of U.S. agriculture producers and school nutrition professionals. At the meeting in the Roosevelt Room, Hoeven, Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee and a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee:

  • Stressed that access to proven safe crop protection tools is critical to the ongoing success of family farmers, as well as the affordability and security of the U.S. food supply.
  • Highlighted the importance of flexibility in dietary guidelines so school nutrition professionals can serve meals students will actually eat without breaking their budget.
  • Secured a commitment from Secretary Kennedy to conduct extensive consultation with farm and school nutrition groups prior to issuing the final strategy.

“Considering the growing prevalence and impact of chronic disease in the U.S., it makes sense to take a careful, comprehensive look at the factors that are contributing to this issue. However, as these policies are being formed, we need to make sure that relevant stakeholders are at the table and the very best science is being used in making such decisions,” said Hoeven. “Our farmers rely on a range of crop protection tools, with decades-worth of evidence showing they are safe, to provide the highest-quality, lowest-cost food supply in the world. At the same time, school nutritionists face real challenges in providing healthy, cost-effective meals that students will actually eat. Their concerns need to be addressed as the MAHA Strategy moves forward, and I appreciate Secretary Kennedy’s commitment to include our farmers and school nutrition professionals in these ongoing discussions.”

Hoeven was joined by his Senate Agriculture Committee colleagues, including Chairman John Boozman and Senators Chuck Grassley, Cindy Hyde-Smith and Roger Marshall.

-###-