The Trump administration backs agro-industrial giant Monsanto in Supreme Court dispute over cancer lawsuits

The administration of President Donald Trump on Tuesday backed Monsanto Company in its effort to get the Supreme Court to be able to shield it from liability stemming from several cancer lawsuitsrelated to its Roundup herbicide. In a brief filed with the high court, the Republican administration argued that lawsuits alleging the company failed to warn consumers of all the details related to the health impact of its herbicide were preempted by federal law.

In its brief, the Trump administration noted that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers glyphosate, which is one of the main ingredients in the company's herbicide, to be probably not carcinogenic and has approved its use. Similarly, the conservative administration asserted in its brief that states should not be able to impose additional requirements that would result in failure-to-warn lawsuits. "The labeling requirements imposed by Missouri’s failure-to-warn law are preempted by [the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act,]," the brief notes.

Potential friction with MAHA movement

The specific case in question is a lawsuit in the state of Missouriin which, under its failure-to-warn law, cancer patient John Durnell received compensation of $1.25 million. The case could have far-reaching consequences, not only because Monsanto faces 100,000 other similar lawsuits, but also because the Administration's decision to position itself in favor of the company could generate friction with the Make America Healthy Again movement, also known as MAHA.

Several activists from that group, which has a presence both within the Republican Party and the administration itself, have spoken out on several occasions against what they have seen as an effort by the U.S. Congress to shield pesticide companies from their own legal liability.