Report Examines New Possible Policies From Incoming Admin

By
Rachel Stevenson
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Well, it looks like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has found himself in an unusual position: uniting Americans across the political divide. That’s no small feat these days, but his proposed reforms to the food industry and public health seem to have struck a chord with voters on both sides. President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to tap Kennedy as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) may have ruffled some feathers in the D.C. establishment, but the latest YouGov poll suggests the public is ready for some serious changes—and they’re not shy about saying so.

Take the overwhelming support for requiring nutrition education in federally funded medical schools. Nearly 8 in 10 Americans, across party lines, want to see future doctors learning more about what we’re putting into our bodies. Shocking, isn’t it? The idea that a nation battling a tidal wave of chronic illness might actually want its healthcare providers to understand the role of food. Revolutionary. You’d think this would have been obvious decades ago, but hey, better late than never.

Then there’s the bipartisan enthusiasm for banning certain additives from the food supply, supported by 74 percent of Democrats and 81 percent of Republicans. These are things like dyes and preservatives that make your food look pretty but might also be slowly poisoning you. It’s almost funny watching Big Food scramble to defend these additives, claiming they’re totally safe while quietly phasing them out in Europe because, you know, those pesky EU regulations. Americans are waking up to the fact that we’ve been treated as a dumping ground for ingredients other countries wouldn’t touch—and they’re not happy about it.

The poll also highlights strong support for restricting pesticides in agricultural products, another common-sense measure that somehow still manages to rile up lobbyists. Two-thirds of Americans—including 66 percent of Republicans—think it’s time to put public health ahead of Big Ag’s bottom line. And let’s not forget the push to ban processed foods in public school lunches. Again, a majority of Americans are on board. Is it really so radical to want kids to eat something other than sodium-packed, pre-packaged mystery meat for lunch? Apparently, it is—at least to those who profit from the status quo.

Of course, not all of Kennedy’s ideas are met with unanimous agreement. Take the fluoride debate. While 56 percent of Republicans want it removed from drinking water, only 32 percent of Democrats agree. It’s a divisive topic, but Kennedy’s willingness to take it on shows that he’s not afraid to challenge entrenched policies, even if they’ve been treated as gospel for decades. Say what you will about the guy, but he’s not exactly playing it safe.

Kennedy’s broader vision—reining in regulatory agencies that are practically on the payroll of giant corporations—is another issue that resonates with Americans tired of being steamrolled by special interests. His claim that two-thirds of Americans now suffer from chronic illnesses, up from less than one percent 50 years ago, is a sobering statistic that cuts through partisan noise. Whether it’s food, medicine, or the environment, Kennedy’s call to prioritize people over profits is hard to argue with.

Trump’s decision to put Kennedy at the helm of HHS is shaping up to be a strategic move. By appointing someone who’s willing to take on both corporate giants and bureaucratic complacency, Trump is signaling that his administration isn’t here to play nice with the status quo. If Kennedy’s reforms gain traction, it could mark a major shift in how we approach public health—one that voters on both sides of the aisle clearly support. Who would’ve thought that cleaning up the food supply and protecting public health could be the rare thing that unites us?

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