Kennedy’s previous makes him an unlikely candidate for agriculture secretary, in response to Daniel Glickman, who served within the function throughout Invoice Clinton’s presidency. “It’s exhausting for me to think about, given Trump’s conventional base within the heartlands, that he would decide anyone who was an advocate for breaking apart giant farms and breaking consolidated agriculture,” says Glickman.
Like prime posts at HHS, the USDA secretary place would must be confirmed by a Senate vote. “I don’t suppose [Kennedy] is a slam dunk,” says Glickman.
Trump’s decide for USDA chief throughout his first time period was Sonny Perdue, a former governor of Georgia and founding father of an agricultural buying and selling firm. Most agriculture secretaries both have a background within the trade or politics—two essential constituencies for the one that might be in control of a division that employs almost 100,000 and is made up of 29 businesses, together with forestry, conservation, and diet applications. “The distinction between Sonny Perdue and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is like evening and day,” says Glickman.
If Kennedy had been to be confirmed as agriculture secretary, he may wrestle to enact essentially the most radical elements of his program. He’s an outspoken critic of pesticides, however the USDA is usually not in control of regulating these, says Dan Blaustein-Rejto, director of agriculture coverage and analysis on the Breakthrough Institute. Slightly, the EPA regulates pesticides with public well being makes use of.
Though he could not be capable to straight affect pesticide laws, Kennedy has mentioned he would attempt to “weaponize” different businesses towards “chemical agriculture” by commissioning scientific analysis into the consequences of pesticides. The USDA Agricultural Analysis Service has an almost $2 billion discretionary price range for analysis into crops, livestocks, diet, meals security, and pure sources conservation.
There are different levers that an agriculture secretary might pull, says Blaustein-Rejto. The USDA is investing $3 billion by means of the partnership for climate-smart commodities—a scheme that’s speculated to make US agriculture extra climate-friendly. A USDA chief may be capable to put their thumb on their scale by influencing the choice standards for these sorts of applications. The USDA additionally oversees the Commodity Credit score Company (CCC), which has a $5 billion fund that it makes use of to help farm incomes and conservation applications, and to help farmers hit by pure disasters. It’s potential {that a} USDA chief might affect how these CCC funds are distributed by the company.
Kennedy has additionally argued that company pursuits have captured the US’s dietary tips, and he pledged to take away conflicts of curiosity from USDA teams that provide you with dietary tips. US dietary tips are developed collectively by the USDA and HHS and are up to date each 5 years, giving the agriculture secretary restricted alternatives to affect any suggestions.
“If RFK is in a high-level coverage function, I anticipate to see much more speak about ultra-processed meals, however I’m undecided what that may really entail with regards to the dietary tips,” says Blaustein-Rejto.
The specialists WIRED spoke with largely suppose Kennedy’s extra excessive positions will possible be constrained by paperwork. However the message that elevating a vocal vaccine skeptic and conspiracy theorist would ship stays a critical concern forward of a possible second Trump administration.
