HOEVEN TO BIDEN: SUPPORT U.S. DOMESTIC AG PRODUCTION & WITHDRAW AMICUS BRIEF THAT JEOPARDIZES THE USE OF GLYPHOSATE

Press Release

Senator John Hoeven, Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee and a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today urged President Biden to call on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to withdraw its May 2022 brief before the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the use of the herbicide glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, and an important crop protection tool. The administration's most recent brief reverses long-standing policy regarding pesticide labeling regulations, and contradicts an earlier DOJ brief in the case that supported the use of glyphosate.

"By its own admission, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) agrees that glyphosate is safe for use," said Hoeven. "The EPA stated that glyphosate does not cause cancer or "human-health risks of concern.' Your administration's concurrence with the Ninth Circuit's decision is contrary to the science, conflicts with the federal preemption intent under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, and sets a dangerous precedent for future regulatory actions or litigation.

"If the Ninth Circuit's decision is allowed to stand, American agriculture's ability to produce safe and affordable food for the world will be severely hindered…I urge the withdrawal of the May 10, 2022 brief and strongly encourage you to consult with all relevant stakeholders, including USDA, to assess the impacts of this case on America's agricultural producers."

Hoeven said Biden administration actions like this brief are contributing to record high inflation, which hit a record 8.3% in May. The senator cited the negative impact should the Ninth Circuit's decision be left in place, as producers applied glyphosate to about 40 percent of corn and soybean acres across the United States. Additionally, 54 agriculture groups, including the North Dakota Grain Growers Association, wrote to President Biden criticizing DOJ's reversal and asked that the brief be withdrawn.

The full text of the letter can be read here.

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