The EPA promised a MAHA agenda. It has yet to materialize, frustrating activists

By — Matthew Daly, Associated Press Matthew Daly, Associated Press By — Ali Swenson, Associated Press Ali Swenson, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/the-epa-promised-a-maha-agenda-it-has-yet-to-materialize-frustrating-activists Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter The EPA promised a MAHA agenda. It has yet to materialize, frustrating activists Politics Jul 10, 2026 7:39 PM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Last December, after Make America Healthy Again activists drew up a petition to get him fired, Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin pledged to release a formal agenda of MAHA priorities that his agency would pursue, including protections against harmful chemicals and other health concerns. But eight months after its first mention and after repeated promises it was being drafted, the so-called MAHA agenda is nowhere to be found. When asked for a status update this week, an EPA spokesperson said MAHA is an ongoing effort, not a single report. WATCH: Trump administration moves to roll back limits on forever chemicals in drinking water The apparent reversal on the release of a formal environmental health agenda is the latest in a cascade of disappointments for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s MAHA movement, who say they've lost faith that the Trump administration will take any significant action on pesticides, chemicals or other issues they view as key to address America's chronic disease epidemic. It also reflects the EPA's relentless rollback of environmental regulations even in the face of pressure from an important voting bloc that has supported President Donald Trump. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. "I had really hoped that there would be specific steps that were taken through a MAHA agenda," said activist Kelly Ryerson, whose social media account "Glyphosate Girl" focuses on nontoxic food systems. "We haven't had any of the wins that we were requesting." Many in the diverse coalition of MAHA activists that Trump credits for helping him win back the White House say they plan to vote on issues over party in November's congressional elections, raising the political stakes of their increasingly public tensions with the Republican administration. "People are done with the profits of corporations being prioritized over public health," said Alexandra Muñoz, a molecular toxicologist who collaborates with activists on certain issues. "And I think that will have an important role in the midterms." MAHA is frustrated with EPA's actions "Trump's EPA," as Zeldin frequently calls the agency, has vigorously pursued a deregulatory agenda. Earlier this year, Zeldin proposed overturning the landmark finding that climate change is a threat to human health. He moved to roll back dozens of environmental regulations in what he called "the greatest day of deregulati