MAHA at the White House: Advancing the Movement from the Inside
Written by Kelly Ryerson
May 19-21 | Washington, DC
Last May, American Regeneration returned to Washington, DC for a pivotal series of events centered around the White House MAHA Commission Report briefing. The team attended the official release and presentation of the Commission’s findings—an important milestone that affirms the growing national momentum behind regenerative agriculture, pro-farmer policy and public health.
The briefing was led by HHS Secretary Kennedy. Secretary Kennedy spoke of his experience as a young boy reading “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson, and how her investigation into the impact of toxic chemicals on human and ecological health still serves as inspiration. Kennedy was accompanied by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, FDA Administrator Marty Makary, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya and Dr. Oz. After an initial briefing, President Donald Trump joined the meeting and addressed the audience of scientists, policymakers, and advocates.
President Trump noted that the MAHA movement has grown in popularity, and doubled down on his commitment to the MAHA contingent that the US must figure out what is making our children so ill. The President spoke first to the attendees, and then announced that the security could “let the fake news in.” Media dashed through the door and rapidly setup cameras. The comment was met with laughter.
In addition to the formal briefing at the White House, Kelly participated in multiple networking events, connecting with senior officials, health advocates, farmers, and policy leaders aligned with the MAHA vision. In a discussion with Dr. Mehmet Oz, who is currently serving as the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Kelly shared information on synthetic pre-harvest desiccation and potential strategies to decrease the practice.
Kelly also had the opportunity to chat with NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya about the NIH plan to study the impact of pesticides on rural communities, and was surprised to learn that very little government funding has historically been invested in pesticide studies. American Regeneration advocates to support this research in order to protect both farmers and farming communities who are on the front lines of spray and runoff exposure.
The DC visit closed with a delicious regeneratively sourced dinner at AMA with a dozen MAHA influencers, where future health campaigns were discussed. So much enthusiasm for regeneration!
