The House of Representatives on Thursday removed a set of controversial provisions aimed at protecting pesticide manufacturers from the Farm Bill following the Make America Healthy Again rebellion, which could have killed the broader package.
The amendment led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., to strip the language passed by a vote of 280-142, after bipartisan opposition from lawmakers and MHA advocates who said the provisions were like a “liability shield” to protect against the coronavirus. Bayer Allegations that its Roundup herbicide and its chemical glyphosate cause cancer. The comprehensive agriculture bill was passed by the House on Thursday morning by 224-200 votes.
Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, who was helping lead the effort for Democrats to remove the pesticide language, said the language represents “big agriculture, big chem favors.”
Pingree said in the House, “It restricts the rights of states to regulate the use or labeling of pesticides (and) provides a liability shield for pesticide manufacturers.” “Simply put, this language puts chemical company profits above the health of Americans.”
A sign at a protest against Chairman Glenn Thompson’s Farm Bill in Washington, DC, on April 30, 2026.
Angela Grayling Keane | cnbc
Lawsuits have dragged on for years over claims that glyphosate causes cancer and Bayer and Monsanto, which manufactured Roundup before the German pharmaceutical giant acquired it, have often been found liable for failing to warn of the cancer risk. The Environmental Protection Agency does not classify glyphosate as a carcinogen and does not require labels to disclose cancer risk, but World Health OrganizationThe International Agency for Research on Cancer said in 2015 that the chemical was “probably carcinogenic to humans.”
The bill’s language prohibits any state and courts from “penalizing or holding liable any entity for failing to comply with requirements requiring labeling or packaging in addition to or different from that approved by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.”
Chairman Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa. Briefing before the introduction of the House Agriculture Committee markup “Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025” at the Longworth House Office Building on Tuesday, June 10, 2025.
Bill Clark | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | getty images
House Agriculture Chairman GT Thompson pushed for the amendment, arguing with reporters Wednesday night that eliminating the provision would be “a major blow to the American farmer.” Thompson repeatedly rejected allegations that the language represents a liability shield, arguing that it would only prevent “frivolous lawsuits” and that “bad actors” could still be sued.
Nonetheless, Thompson still celebrated the passage of the farm bill and said x post It is “a victory for our farmers, ranchers, foresters, rural communities and all Americans across our country.”
Glyphosate is the most commonly used herbicide in the US. The White House and MHA coalition, which supported President Donald Trump after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dropped out of the 2024 election, has faced a rift since Trump supported glyphosate production in February.
Earlier this week, the White House argued on Bayer’s behalf at the Supreme Court in a court case that could make it more difficult to sue the company over cancer claims.
The agriculture bill is now with the Senate.
