Kennedy’s previous makes him an unlikely candidate for agriculture secretary, in line with Daniel Glickman, who served within the function throughout Invoice Clinton’s presidency. “It’s laborious for me to think about, given Trump’s conventional base within the heartlands, that he would choose anyone who was an advocate for breaking apart massive farms and breaking consolidated agriculture,” says Glickman.
Like high posts at HHS, the USDA secretary place would should be confirmed by a Senate vote. “I don’t suppose [Kennedy] is a slam dunk,” says Glickman.
Trump’s choose 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 who will probably be accountable for a division that employs practically 100,000 and is made up of 29 companies, together with forestry, conservation, and vitamin applications. “The distinction between Sonny Perdue and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is like night time and day,” says Glickman.
If Kennedy have been to be confirmed as agriculture secretary, he would possibly battle to enact essentially the most radical components of his program. He’s an outspoken critic of pesticides, however the USDA is usually not accountable for regulating these, says Dan Blaustein-Rejto, director of agriculture coverage and analysis on the Breakthrough Institute. Reasonably, the EPA regulates pesticides with public well being makes use of.
Though he might not be capable to instantly affect pesticide laws, Kennedy has stated he would attempt to “weaponize” different companies in opposition to “chemical agriculture” by commissioning scientific analysis into the consequences of pesticides. The USDA Agricultural Analysis Service has a virtually $2 billion discretionary price range for analysis into crops, livestocks, vitamin, meals security, and pure assets conservation.
There are different levers that an agriculture secretary may pull, says Blaustein-Rejto. The USDA is investing $3 billion by the partnership for climate-smart commodities—a scheme that’s imagined to make US agriculture extra climate-friendly. A USDA chief would possibly 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 assist farm incomes and conservation applications, and to help farmers hit by pure disasters. It’s potential {that a} USDA chief may affect how these CCC funds are distributed by the company.
Kennedy has additionally argued that company pursuits have captured the US’s dietary pointers, and he pledged to take away conflicts of curiosity from USDA teams that give you dietary pointers. US dietary pointers 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 count on to see much more speak about ultra-processed meals, however I’m unsure what that may truly entail relating to the dietary pointers,” says Blaustein-Rejto.
The specialists WIRED spoke with largely suppose Kennedy’s extra excessive positions will doubtless be constrained by forms. However the message that elevating a vocal vaccine skeptic and conspiracy theorist would ship stays a severe concern forward of a possible second Trump administration.
