Republicans in many state legislatures across the United States are falling under the spell of MAHA impersonators who are more interested in their own political objectives and profit margins than they are about implementing President Trump’s agenda.
Influencers and shadow Democrat activists, who claim to be “working for the children”, are commandeering MAHA for personal and political gain. These self-appointed experts spout deceptive arguments to scare consumers over specific food and beverage ingredients, shouting that food companies “are poisoning our kids.” Meanwhile, they’re marketing “healthier” foods that are always more expensive, but not any safer. And in some cases, several of these activists have financial ties to the alternative products they are promoting.
Texas Republicans appear ready to follow California on this nanny-state venture. These “Make Texas Healthy Again” bills will only undercut the Trump administration and recklessly add to the bloated bureaucracy that Governor Abbot has just promised to slash.
A new statutory advisory committee on nutrition will be established by SB 25 to “develop nutritional guidelines for the residents of this state,” replicating work already mandated by the US Congress. In a few months, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be publishing the Dietary Guidelines for the next five years. True MAHA objectives are guaranteed on the federal level where food regulation is already overseen, so why the need to create costly regulatory infrastructure in Texas when the Trump administration is doing this work for all Americans?
Texas Republicans are pulling California’s Trojan horse into the statehouse to expand government regulation under the false flag of consumer safety. They are proposing obnoxious labelling rules (SB 25) and prohibiting a handful of ingredients from the school lunch program (SB 314). The banned ingredient list includes two additives that the FDA has already removed, as well as the six synthetic food dyes that Kennedy will remove by next year at the federal level. Over half the list has already been addressed, which begs the question: If these policies are already being implemented on the federal level, what is the real purpose of these state-by-state nanny state laws?
The labelling rules are equally problematic, in no small part because Texas legislators appear to trust foreign regulatory agencies more than Trump’s FDA. The bill mandates a warning that says the product contains an ingredient “not recommended for human consumption” by authorities in Australia, Canada, the European Union (EU) or the United Kingdom (UK). Democrat influencers have been shouting about how “toxins” banned in Europe are poisoning our children, and Texas Republicans are happily following this trend. But, their list includes many ingredients that actually are used in Europe – and in Australia, Canada, and the UK as well. And their list includes ingredients the FDA has, or will shortly, remove from use. This list isn’t about food safety. It’s the wish list of a progressive conspiracy.
The supposed MAHA bills making the rounds illustrate that some Republicans are under the spell of progressive activists who want to go beyond ingredients to regulate how people eat, what companies produce, and how the market behaves.
Kennedy is making these changes nationally; the intervention of the Texas legislature will only undermine the administration’s efforts. There must be one national standard to ensure an equal playing field in the food and grocery industries, or we will undeniably see increased challenges with interstate commerce. With piecemeal regulations, small and medium-sized companies will be decimated by international corporations that can better absorb the added costs of changing ingredients and increased labelling and packaging. The clear loser will be families paying more at the grocery checkout register.
Texas should be Trump’s vanguard, standing against the shadowy progressive influence gaining traction in statehouses across the nation. Right next door, Louisiana has several bills that MAHA imposters have taken from the progressive playbook. It’s time to stop being taken in by influencers and their slogans and it’s time to stop being their patsies.
Every single one of these state bills, beyond targeting certain food ingredients, either creates a new regulatory body or significantly expands the authority of an existing regulatory body over the food and beverage industry. They’re building a regulatory infrastructure that can be weaponized by Democrats in the future.
There are progressive footprints springing up in Texas this legislative term that must be giving Democrats hope in a state that has roundly rejected their policies for over two decades. A former Speaker of the House is trying to criminalize political memes. Some Texas legislatures are trying to Islamify Texas with “Pakistan Day” and “Muslim Capitol Day”. The current Texas Speaker of the House owes his position to the benevolence of Democrats who are expecting dividends for their support. Sen. Bryan Hughes, a so-called Republican, is certain his ingredients bill (SB 314) will work for Texas, saying “California and New York did this before us.”
It’s time to stop looking towards liberal states and foreign agencies for direction on policy in red states. President Trump’s MAGA movement is leading on nutrition and health policy, but too many states are stepping on his toes.
Say no to this nanny-state subterfuge dressed up in MAHA clothes.
Laura Loomer
Investigative Journalist
Host of “Loomer Unleashed”
