Happy Friday, and welcome to Food Fix. It’s been a busy week here in Washington, to say the least.
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Helena
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What Trump’s USDA pick Brooke Rollins thinks about food and nutrition
Brooke Rollins, President Donald Trump’s pick for agriculture secretary, appeared before the Senate Agriculture Committee on Thursday, offering us our first window into where she stands on a wide variety of food and nutrition issues.
For those who might be unaware: leading USDA is a big job. The more than $200 billion Agriculture Department employs nearly 100,000 people and has an incredibly broad portfolio, from managing crop insurance and animal diseases to meat inspection and rural development. Of course, for the purposes of this newsletter, we care mostly about food and nutrition. There, too, USDA plays a huge role: The department oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — which helps some 40 million people buy groceries each month — as well as numerous other federal nutrition programs.
Nutrition assistance actually accounts for the vast majority of USDA spending — roughly 70 percent, per a recent budget breakdown.
What does Rollins think? Over the past few weeks, I’ve been noting how we really have no idea what Rollins thinks about anything because she doesn’t have much of a record in agriculture policy (this isn’t me casting shade — she just doesn’t have a record). On Thursday, during the 3-hour plus confirmation hearing, we learned that Rollins holds some pretty traditional conservative views on SNAP — this isn’t altogether surprising considering she’s the president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a Trump-aligned think tank. The Trump administration tried (unsuccessfully) to impose stricter work requirements on able-bodied adults without dependents — a population known as ABAWDs — a move that would have dropped hundreds of thousands of people from the program and cut down on nutrition spending.
Throughout the hearing, Democrats tried to get Rollins to commit to not cutting SNAP funding or benefits (she did not), to commit to not imposing stricter work requirements (again, she did not) and urged her to keep nutrition programs strong (she said she was always open to hearing their point of view). At one point, Senate Agriculture Committee ranking member Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) cited reports that House Republicans are mulling nearly $300 billion in cuts to SNAP benefits as part of a possible budget reconciliation package, and asked Rollins if she’d commit to “supporting robust funding for USDA’s nutrition programs.”
“My commitment will always be to ensuring that these programs are effective and efficient,” Rollins said, noting that she had not drilled down into the numbers yet. She said it was important that there was bipartisan leadership to ensure that “those who are the least among us are ably supported and don’t go hungry — this is the United States of America.”
Keeping options open on cutting, restricting or otherwise reining in SNAP — which is now a more than $110 billion program — is a run-of-the-mill conservative position.
MAHA influence: While Rollins’ dance on SNAP was not surprising, I was also listening for any hints about what she thinks of this burgeoning “Make America Healthy Again” movement, which has become a faction within Trump’s base in short order. There are still a lot of folks in Washington who are quick to dismiss MAHA as a joke, but the hearing suggested to me that this faction is already having a bit of a policy impact (it’s still early of course).
Rollins mentioned how chronic diseases are on the rise for children — a clear nod to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s pick to lead Health and Human Services. “We have a real issue in this country,” Rollins said. “I think four out of five children are facing obesity.” (Note: One in five children and adolescents have obesity — I assume she misspoke here.) “The level of diabetes and chronic diseases continue to rise. We together…will have a major role in all of the above.”
This was not a major theme for Rollins throughout the marathon hearing, but it stood out to me — she clearly knew that some folks would be listening for this issue to be brought up, and she hit on it unprompted.
Booting ultra-processed foods: Later in the hearing, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) — who has long advocated for an overhaul of food and nutrition policy — asked Rollins to commit to reducing ultra-processed foods in school meals programs.
“We have a sickness epidemic in American children,” Booker said. “Right now, kids are still getting too many of their calories in schools from ultra-processed meals. Yes or no, if confirmed, will you commit to dealing with this crisis and really focusing on improving children’s nutrition by reducing ultra-processed foods in our school meal program?”
Rollins didn’t hesitate: “The answer is yes.”
This might sound like a somewhat simple ask and an uncontroversial answer, but it would be a pretty significant departure from current policy. The USDA has fairly rigid nutrition standards for school meals programs — such as limits on fat and sodium and soon to be limits on added sugar — but there’s no edict on the level of processing. (Some schools complain that all the nutrition rules, in some cases, actually encourage processing — buying products that meet the standards can be easier than cooking.) We’re serving tens of millions of kids meals and spending very little money on each meal. Many schools lack the staff, facilities or funding to scratch cook. The reality is most of these meals are processed.
Balancing MAHA: After the hearing, I asked Rollins about the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, noting that some advocates have been concerned that she won’t support the MAHA agenda, which has been championed by RFK Jr.
“I certainly support the concept. America, as we discussed in this hearing, is becoming unhealthier and unhealthier,” Rollins said. “My role will be to strike a balance between defending our farmers and ranchers but also working with Bobby Kennedy, who I adore, to effectuate the president’s vision on all of the above.”
One reason I asked Rollins about this is because there is already frustration building among some of the most vocal MAHA advocates about whether USDA will support or fight back on their key agenda items — many of which are fiercely opposed by the agriculture and food industries.
MAHA world is particularly grumpy that Kailee Tkacz Buller, who has most recently served as an executive for trade associations representing the seed oil industry, has been named to be chief of staff at USDA, a powerful position at the sprawling department. (Seed oils like canola and sunflower oil are one of the top enemies of MAHA — the inaugural MAHA ball even made a point of not serving them.) Of course, critics of this whole movement are quick to gloat about all of this — this one post from Jessica Knurick, a registered dietitian influencer, has more than 30,000 likes.
“Cleaning up the corruption,” Knurick wrote, tongue in cheek. “Someone tell MAHA.”
SNAP restrictions on tap? While MAHA is grumbling about personnel at USDA, it seems increasingly likely that Trump’s USDA could be friendly to the idea of testing purchase restrictions for SNAP benefits at the state level. I asked Rollins about a recent letter from Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders which seeks USDA’s approval for running a pilot in the state to prohibit “junk food” from the program. Rollins said she hadn’t given the particular issue much thought yet, but quickly praised the general concept of states being laboratories for testing new ideas.
“As a longtime state policy advocate, I’m such a believer in federalism and the 10th amendment,” Rollins said. “You give the laboratories of democracy and the governors the power to innovate and to experiment. If it works, you model that around the country, if it doesn’t work, you haven’t completely changed the whole course of history.”
The ag secretary designee also noted Gov. Huckabee Sanders is a friend — they worked in the White House together during the first Trump administration — and she commended her for being an “innovator” and “champion” on these issues.
I read this as: certainly warm to the idea.
What’s next: We don’t have a timeline yet, but Rollins is expected to be confirmed quite easily in the Senate. Speaking of MAHA, RFK Jr.’s confirmation hearings are set for Wednesday and Thursday (two committees share jurisdiction).
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What I’m reading
USDA pick Rollins to ‘follow and listen’ to farmers on deportations (Roll Call). “Brooke L. Rollins appears on course for confirmation as Agriculture secretary despite being pressed Thursday by Democrats about farm labor shortages that could result from President Donald Trump’s immigration policies,” reports Olivia Bridges. “Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill., asked Rollins what Trump’s pledge of mass deportations would have on the agriculture sector, which relies heavily on immigrant labor. ‘So can we expect this administration to be raiding farms, going after the immigrant farm workers?’ he asked. Rollins said she supported ‘mass deportation at a scale that matters.’ She added: ‘My commitment is to help President Trump deploy his agenda in an effective way, while at the same time defending, as a confirmed secretary of Agriculture, our farmers and ranchers across this country.’ But Rollins also said Trump’s deportation plans would initially focus on migrants who have committed crimes. ‘We will follow and listen to farmers and ranchers as this is moving,’ she said.”
Health agency reports from CDC, FDA, and NIH halted by Trump officials (healthline). “The Trump administration halted reports from top health agencies like the CDC, FDA, and NIH on Tuesday, putting communications with the general public in limbo until at least the end of the month,” reports Andrea Rice. “‘HHS has issued a pause on mass communications and public appearances that are not directly related to emergencies or critical to preserving health. This is a short pause to allow the new team to set up a process for review and prioritization. There are exceptions for announcements that HHS divisions believe are mission critical, but they will be made on a case by case basis,’ a spokesperson for the HHS Office of Public Affairs told Healthline in an email. According to the AP, the pause will continue until a political appointee approves agency communications.”
Bird flu found in Georgia commercial poultry plant, a first for nation’s leading producer (USA Today). “The Georgia Department of Agriculture, along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, confirmed on Friday, Jan. 17, a positive case of bird flu – highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) – in a commercial poultry operation located in Elbert County, Georgia,” reports Mike Snider. “While it is the fifth bird flu detection in the state, it’s the first confirmed case in one of the state’s commercial poultry operations, the department said. Georgia produces the most chicken of any state in the U.S., with 1.3 billion chickens produced in 2022.”
New report calls for improved oversight of meat and poultry (The Center Square). “A new watchdog report highlights issues with the Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service regarding meat and poultry safety,” reports Shirleen Guerra. “The report shows that the department has paused work on multiple standards, such as finalizing or updating standards for Campylobacter, an illness-causing bacteria, and highlighted concerns about foodborne illnesses caused by pathogens like Salmonella and Listeria, which affect 1 in 6 Americans and kill thousands a year.”
RFK Jr. reports up to $1.2M in credit card debt, $30M net worth (ABC News). “From a multimillion-dollar law firm payout to six-figure endorsements and book deals, President Donald Trump’s nominee for health and human services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., raked in at least $12 million in total income in the past two years, new personal financial disclosure forms show,” write Soo Rin Kim and Peter Charalambous. “Kennedy boasted a vast amount of wealth across various investment funds, bank accounts and real estate properties totaling between $8.6 million to $33.4 million. Kennedy’s liabilities include up to $1.2 million in credit card debt to American Express at a 23% revolving interest rate and three 30-year mortgages worth up to $10.5 million, according to the filing. The exact values of his total assets and liabilities are unclear because federal financial disclosures are reported in ranges.”
Inside the looming crisis in the infant formula market (STAT). “Danielle and Andrew West spent their first month as parents praying their child would live. Their son Owen, born six weeks early in November 2015, developed necrotizing enterocolitis a few days after birth,” writes Lizzy Lawrence. “The two are considering joining the hundreds of parents who have sued both Abbott and Mead Johnson’s parent company, Reckitt Benckiser, the two major makers of preterm infant formula, over allegedly failing to warn that their products could increase the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis, or NEC. In July, a Missouri state court ordered Abbott to pay $495 million to a parent whose child acquired NEC and has permanent neurological damage. Abbott has said if the company continues to lose cases, it may exit the preterm infant formula market completely. Just as when Abbott recalled powder formulas in 2022, its departure would cause a massive shortage. The brewing fiasco reveals the precarity of the preterm infant formula supply, the dangers of a consolidated market, and the consequences of medical uncertainty.”
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