(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) — Today, the Supreme Court of the United States began hearing oral arguments in Monsanto Company v. Durnell. Monsanto—the company that manufactures roundup using glyphosate—produced Roundup, the primary ingredient of which is glyphosate—will appeal a lower court’s ruling that Roundup caused the plaintiff to develop non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
“If the Supreme Court caves to the demands of Donald Trump, Big Chemical corporations will be granted immunity,” said Shaughnessy Naughton, President of 314 Action. “Allowing companies to avoid labeling potential cancer-causing ingredients would have devastating consequences for the health of the American people, our farms, and our environment.”
The Trump administration has thrown its weight behind the Supreme Court case, with the Department of Justice joining an amicus brief defending immunity for Bayer, after Trump signed an Executive Order expanding the use of glyphosates and offering immunity to chemical manufacturers. Robert F. Kennedy supports the EO, despite a lifetime of opposition to use of glyphosate—including winning a multi-million dollar lawsuit.
This has become a wedge issue for the MAHA coalition in the midterms, and their support is fracturing over Trump and RFK Jr.’s stance on glyphosates.
Naughton continued, “In a desperate attempt to power-grab, RFK Jr. has backed himself into a corner by playing both sides. His entire career is built working against glyphosate byproducts, but he will not stand up to Trump. MAHA voters are realizing they have been betrayed by RFK Jr. Rather than living up to their “real food” agenda, Trump and RFK Jr. have doubled down on their support of glyphosate and the foreign corporation that produces it.”
“As an agricultural scientist, I’ve seen the evidence on glyphosate firsthand: cancer risks, developmental harm, collapsing pollinators, poisoned waterways,” said Audrey Denney, 314 Action endorsed candidate for California’s 1st Congressional District. “The science is clear. What’s at stake at the Supreme Court this week is whether everyday Americans can still hold corporations accountable for that damage, or whether the Trump administration gets to hand Bayer and Monsanto a get-out-of-jail-free card. RFK Jr. made millions suing these companies on behalf of cancer victims. Now he’s backing their immunity. That’s not politics. That’s corruption. Rural families and farmers deserve better.”
“The Trump administration is once again taking the side of big agriculture while leaving farmers behind,” said Matt Rains, candidate for Montana’s 1st Congressional District. “As a fourth generation rancher, I’ve seen first hand how corporate greed hurts Montana agriculture and puts our crops, our livestock and our natural resources at risk. We should be working together to make life easier for farmers and ranchers instead of helping giant corporations.”
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