The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement and allied organizations are supporting “a wave of anti-science bills” in state legislatures across the U.S. — and some of the organizations may be profiting from their MAHA advocacy, The Associated Press reported.
During the current legislative session, lawmakers have introduced more than 420 bills that “strip away public health protections,” including measures that target vaccines, milk safety and fluoride, according to the AP’s four reports, published Monday.
The bills, which the AP said stem from “conspiracy-driven ideas,” are supported by Trump administration officials, including U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom the AP accused of “elevating anti-science ideas nationally.”
Mary Holland, CEO of Children’s Health Defense (CHD), told The Defender that the AP’s characterization of these bills as “anti-science” is irresponsible. She said:
“AP irresponsibly characterizes anything that does not track the ‘scientific consensus’ as ‘anti-science.’ Science only develops by challenging consensus and dogma and marshalling empirical evidence to support the claims.
“AP parrots corporate science as if it were true, without checking or comparing the evidence of new claims against those of the so-called consensus. AP has devolved into pure propaganda.”
The AP said several organizations “connected to Kennedy,” including CHD, support these state-level legislative efforts. State legislatures have enacted or adopted about 30 of the bills in 12 states.
Hellbound and Down 