Secures Commitments to Support MT Agriculture
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today praised Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), for his commitment to make HHS the gold standard of science. Daines and Kennedy discussed the need to support Montana’s crops and the food supply, as well as the dangers that chemical abortions pose to women.
Watch Daines’ and Kennedy’s full exchange HERE.
“Mr. Kennedy, I’m glad to see you here this morning. I listened to your opening remarks, and you mentioned that you wanted to make HHS the gold standard of science. I have found my engagements with you, both behind closed doors in my office, as well as listening to you publicly, to be very thoughtful and science -based. I applaud that, I thank you for that. And I realize this will likely be a very partisan vote on this committee and on the Senate floor. But let the record state, there are three medical doctors on this side of the dais. I’m a chemical engineer. We believe in science. I’m thankful that you do too. And you made that comment in your opening remarks.”
Daines and Kennedy discussed Montana’s agriculture-based economy and the food supply:
Daines: I want to talk about agriculture for a moment. We talked about our common love for Montana. You’ve been to Montana many times. It’s a wonderful state. A lot of folks have discovered it. They watch a show, Yellowstone, and people are coming and moving into our state. It’s an amazing place. But as you know, agriculture is our top economic driver in Montana. We produce some of the highest quality crops, the best livestock in the country and the world. Our farmers and our ranchers are truly some of the most effective environmental stewards in ensuring we have a safe food supply chain in the world. I share your view that protecting the integrity and safety of our food supply is of utmost importance. I appreciate the research happening in places like Montana State University to help farmers produce resilient, healthy, and safe crops as well as their agriculture practices. You mentioned you were a 4 -H kid growing up. I think our 4 -H kids and our FFA kids are some of the best kids in America. My question for you, Mr. Kennedy, is if confirmed, as I’m listening to my farmers and ranchers talk about the future, will you commit to working collaboratively with partners at USDA, at the relevant federal agencies, as well as our Montana farmers and ranchers, before implementing any policy that might affect or impact food supply?
Kennedy: I absolutely will make that commitment.
Daines: And if confirmed, I look forward to having you…out to Montana.
Kennedy: You have my commitment to come there any time, particularly during ski season or hunting season.
Daines and Kennedy also discussed the dangers of the chemical abortion pill:
Daines: As we discussed in the meeting we had in my office, mifepristone was approved in 2000. The FDA has been under scrutiny and brought to court for failure to properly assess this drug as well as subsequent deregulations Senator Lankford described that occurred over the past 25 years. Some of these deregulations included ending the requirement that these drugs be prescribed by a doctor, ending reporting requirements for adverse events and allowing these pills to be obtained through the mail. In fact, the FDA’s own prescribing label mentioned that three to five percent of women taking this drug end up in the emergency room. My question is, if confirmed as Secretary of HHS, will you commit to working with the FDA Commission to review the regulatory actions that are threatening the safety of women?
Kennedy: President Trump has asked me to study the safety of mifepristone. He has not yet taken a stand on how to regulate it. Whatever he does, I will implement those policies, and I will work with this committee to make those policies make sense.
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Contact: Matt Lloyd, Rachel Dumke