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EPA's promised health agenda missing, frustrating activists
🇺🇸 United States /Health & Science

EPA's promised health agenda missing, frustrating activists

From PBS NewsHour · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin pledged to release a formal agenda of Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) priorities but has yet to deliver.
  • Activists express frustration, stating the agency's actions contradict promises and prioritize corporate profits over public health.
  • The EPA has pursued a deregulatory agenda, rolling back environmental regulations despite pressure from a voting bloc that supported President Trump.

Environmental activists are growing frustrated with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a promised "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) agenda remains undelivered. Administrator Lee Zeldin had pledged to release the formal agenda, which would outline priorities for protecting against harmful chemicals and other health concerns, after activists petitioned for his dismissal last December.

I had really hoped that there would be specific steps that were taken through a MAHA agenda.

— Kelly RyersonAn activist focused on nontoxic food systems, expressing disappointment with the lack of concrete actions.

However, eight months later and after repeated assurances that the agenda was being drafted, it is nowhere to be found. When questioned, an EPA spokesperson stated that MAHA is an ongoing effort, not a single report. This apparent reversal is the latest in a series of disappointments for the MAHA movement, led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who feel the Trump administration is not taking significant action on issues they deem critical for addressing America's chronic disease epidemic.

We haven't had any of the wins that we were requesting.

— Kelly RyersonAn activist focused on nontoxic food systems, highlighting the unmet demands of the MAHA movement.

Many in the MAHA coalition, which Trump credits for his electoral success, are now considering voting based on issues rather than party affiliation in the upcoming congressional elections. "People are done with the profits of corporations being prioritized over public health," said Alexandra Muñoz, a molecular toxicologist. "And I think that will have an important role in the midterms."

People are done with the profits of corporations being prioritized over public health.

— Alexandra MuñozA molecular toxicologist collaborating with activists, commenting on the public's sentiment regarding corporate influence.

The EPA, under Zeldin's leadership, has actively pursued a deregulatory agenda. This includes proposing to overturn the finding that climate change is a threat to human health, rolling back numerous environmental regulations, freezing clean energy funding, and disrupting agency research. While Zeldin has highlighted several "MAHA wins," activists argue these are not substantial, citing the limited regulation of phthalates as an example, which addresses environmental and workplace risks but not consumer product exposure.

And I think that will have an important role in the midterms.

— Alexandra MuñozA molecular toxicologist collaborating with activists, suggesting the public's frustration could impact upcoming elections.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by PBS NewsHour in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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