Both Mississippi Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith are joining their colleagues in defense of the use of products designed to protect crops.
This came about after the U. S. Solicitor General urged the Supreme Court to not hear a case about the safe implementation of various herbicides and pesticides.
One of the herbicides specifically mentioned is glyphosate, which is used on approximately 40 percent of acres and enables the growth of roughly $50 billion in crops annually.
Glyphosate was recently a topic of controversy as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit voted in affirmation of the initial ruling in Hardeman v Monsanto. The conclusion was that the widely used weed killer, Roundup, which contains glyphosate, caused cancer.
Citing 40 years of data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and similar entities, the Senators note that the administration is undermining science.
Furthermore, in a letter to President Joe Biden, the Senators express their disdain for the way the Biden administration has limited access to crop protection tools for farmers, even at a time of record inflation. Other federal agencies were also referenced.
“We ask that you direct all levels of your administration to work hand in glove with farmers as they work through supply chain challenges. This includes directing your DOJ, EPA, and USDA to ensure farmers have meaningful access to feed the world,” wrote the Senators.
