Unpacking the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Initiative: Environmental Exposures and the Future of Child Health Policy

The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission, created by President Trump by Executive Order on Feb. 13, identified child health as its top priority, with its first report focused on assessing chronic disease in children. This blog is the first in a series exploring the Commission’s policy and research priorities and how stakeholders in Kansas are responding. 

Note: On May 29, multiple news outlets reported that several studies cited in the MAHA report were either incorrectly summarized, not cited accurately, or did not appear to exist. Following these reports, the administration began updating the report to replace the affected studies with new or corrected citations. 

The MAHA Report: Make Our Children Healthy Again  

Released on May 22, the MAHA Commission’s first report outlines interrelated factors contributing to the rise in childhood chronic illness in the United States. These include poor nutrition, chronic stress, physical inactivity, overprescribing of medications and environmental exposures. The report warns that declining child health could have long-term implications for national security and economic stability. A follow-up report is expected in August 2025. 

The report also outlines early strategic directions for improving how the United States studies and responds to childhood chronic illness, particularly in science, surveillance and public policy. One of its key areas of focus is studying environmental exposures in children, a topic of long-standing interest to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who earlier in his career worked as an attorney for the environmental nonprofit Riverkeeper, an organization dedicated to protecting the Hudson River and the watersheds supplying New York City’s drinking water. 

Building on this national conversation, this blog examines how these environmental concerns, particularly related to pesticide and herbicide use, are resonating in Kansas and explores the potential implications for both state and federal health and agricultural policy. 

Key Findings from the MAHA Report — Environmental Exposures 

Among the findings presented to guide future policy and research, environmental exposure is identified as a significant concern. The report highlights certain industrial chemicals — commonly found in agriculture, consumer products and food packaging — as potential contributors to chronic illness in children. It also explores links between early-childhood exposure to these substances, particularly endocrine (hormone)-disrupting compounds (EDCs), and increased risks of developmental disorders and chronic disease. 

These concerns reflect a broader body of research linking EDCs such as bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates — common in plastics and cosmetics — to developmental, reproductive and metabolic health effects. The World Health Organization also has noted the endocrine-disrupting potential of organophosphate pesticides and their association with neurodevelopmental delays and hormonal interference in children. 

The report notes that widely used herbicides and insecticides, among other chemical compounds, have been detected in children’s blood and urine samples at levels described as “alarming,” particularly during critical developmental stages such as infancy and puberty. Studies cited in the report include examples such as glyphosate (GLY), atrazine and chlorpyrifos (CPF), which the report identifies as common exposure pathways. 

CPF and GLY are among the most commonly used organophosphate insecticides and herbicides worldwide. While acknowledging that most food samples tested by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Pesticide Data Program in 2023 complied with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) safety limits, the report questions whether current regulatory frameworks sufficiently account for the combined effects of multiple chemical exposures. It recommends updated toxicological methods and more comprehensive studies to improve risk assessment and public health protections. 

Notably, the EPA has already taken steps in this direction. In May 2024, the agency finalized a rule updating how it evaluates the safety of chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). This update aims to enhance public health and environmental protection by refining the agency’s chemical risk assessment procedures. For example, the rule mandates the use of the best available science, requires comprehensive reviews of existing studies and allows the agency to incorporate new scientific methods without requiring additional rule changes. 

However, since the release of the report, the effects of the MAHA Commission’s related recommendations have drawn criticism from some stakeholders in the agriculture sector, both nationally and in Kansas. 

Kansas Lawmakers and Agriculture Sector Respond to the MAHA Report 

Ahead of the MAHA report’s release, national and state agricultural stakeholders voiced concerns about the report’s expected criticism of modern agricultural practices, such as the use of pesticides and biotechnology. On March 7, several Kansas organizations — including the Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Corn Growers Association, Kansas Cotton Association, Kansas Farm Bureau, and Kansas Soybean Association — joined over 300 other organizations across the country in a letter urging the MAHA Commission to base its review on sound science and existing risk-based regulatory systems.

On April 11, Kansas lawmakers Senator Jerry Moran, Representative Tracy Mann (KS-1) and Representative Derek Schmidt (KS-2) joined 76 fellow lawmakers in a letter to Secretaries Kennedy, Brooke Rollins (USDA), and Lee Zeldin (EPA) reiterating the concerns of the agricultural industry and highlighting the need to support American farmers and protect national food safety. On May 20, several national agriculture associations released a statement, noting that despite the efforts across their membership to collaborate with the MAHA Commission, industry leaders were concerned about the report’s potential to disparage American farmers, warning that misrepresentations in the report could strain future collaboration between the agricultural industry and the Commission and may put American food production at risk. On May 20, Secretary Kennedy stated in a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing that the contents of the report would not jeopardize the American agricultural business model (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Timeline of the MAHA Report Development and Agricultural Industry Response

Source: Successful Farming.

Following the release of the report, some agricultural groups expressed concern that it sends conflicting messages, raising questions about the safety of the U.S. food system while also emphasizing the importance of farmers, despite the agricultural industry’s limited involvement in the report’s development. In response, the Kansas Corn Growers Association emphasized their ongoing efforts to educate policymakers about modern farming policies, particularly the use of herbicides.  

Prior to the report’s release, Senator Roger Marshall established the MAHA caucus in December 2024 to act as the “legislative force” to ensure that key priorities of the MAHA movement are executed, develop partnerships with key stakeholders to implement MAHA initiatives, and launch educational campaigns to raise awareness about nutrition’s role in preventative care. The caucus outlined four central focus areas: food as medicine, chronic disease prevention, regenerative and precision agriculture, and expanded access to primary care. After the MAHA report was released, Marshall responded to industry concerns by noting that many of the report’s goals — such as reducing pesticide use — align with practices Kansas farmers and ranchers have used for decades.

Looking Ahead

Since the report’s release, stakeholders across the country have offered varying perspectives concerning the report’s credibility, its potential policy applications and its wider impact on individuals, industries and public health. KHI will continue sharing timely updates as new information, stakeholder insights and resulting policy approaches emerge.