Supreme Court Hears Glyphosate Liability Arguments; Advocates Plan Rally

More than 1,000 Make America Healthy Again advocates are anticipated to attend a rally on Monday morning in front of the Supreme Court to protest the Trump administration’s handling of the herbicide glyphosate, the main chemical in RoundUp, the Washington Examiner reported.

The rally, named “People vs. Poison,” is organized by Vani Hari, known as the “Food Babe” health activist, and is scheduled to coincide with Supreme Court oral arguments on Monday afternoon over whether Bayer, the maker of RoundUp, should be held legally liable for not informing customers that glyphosate could cause cancer.

The World Health Organization declared glyphosate a possible carcinogen in 2015. Bayer purchased Monsanto, the original maker of glyphosate, in 2018. Monsanto faced legal cases prior to 2018 in which juries sided against the company for not informing users of the risk of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other health risks.

The Department of Justice filed an amicus brief in March with the Supreme Court in the case Monsanto v. Durnell, arguing that Bayer ought not be held liable. President Donald Trump issued an executive order this spring to boost domestic manufacturing of glyphosate, which has been predominantly made in China until recently.

The executive order provides an additional liability shield for Bayer. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. supported the executive order. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) are listed among the featured speakers for the rally, alongside representatives from Moms Across America, the Center for Food Safety, and Children’s Health Defense.

Vani Hari said, “We need to do whatever it takes so that elected officials see that this is an issue worth carrying out and standing up to the special interests about,” in an interview before the rally. She added, “The Trump administration made this an issue.

” Hari stated the rally will not be a partisan affair and is a bipartisan group including nonprofits and individuals from every walk of life.

A Politico poll conducted earlier this month found nearly 7 in 10 women support limiting pesticide use, including nearly 4 in 10 who strongly support reducing pesticides. More than half of women in the Politico poll said the Trump administration has not done enough to follow through on its promises to make the public healthier.