New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker could potentially have a novel and unexpected partner to pursue his goals of improving the U.S. food industry during a second Trump administration.
After three years of holding majority, Booker and other Democrats in the U.S. Senate will now be in the 53-47 minority. Their legislative hopes will now fall at the whim of the Republican trifecta in Washington, led by President-elect Donald Trump in the White House.
However, the New Jersey senator could have paid attention to inviting Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s controversial nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, to further his goals of reforming the nation’s food system.
At least Kennedy he hopes so.
Former presidential candidate reposted Booker’s video on X last month describing the dangers of chemical food additives. He thanked Booker for his “long history of leadership on this issue.”
“Let’s work together to end this,” added Kennedy, son of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, who promised to “Make America Healthy Again.” If Kennedy becomes HHS secretary, he will oversee the Food and Drug Administration.
Some food and nutrition policy experts say future cooperation between Booker and Kennedy – who have overlapping priorities in this area – could be helpful in reforming the system. and lead to mutually beneficial relationships.
Kennedy may face an uphill battle during his Senate hearing related to his history of promoting anti-vaccination messages and other conspiracy theories, so finding areas of commonality across party lines on other issues could be crucial. A handful of Republicans may also be wary of Kennedy’s progressive viewpoint on issues such as the environment, said Christopher Borick, a political science professor and director of Muhlenberg College’s Institute for Public Opinion.
For Booker, working with Kennedy could be an opportunity to achieve his goals during the Trump administration.
“If you’re Cory Booker, that certainly doesn’t mean you’re going to be a full supporter of RFK Jr. and many of his other positions, but you see a place where you think you can achieve some political successes… you’re looking for them, right? Otherwise you end up on the sidelines,” Borick said.
Booker, Kennedy and stakeholders recognize the urgent need to address food issues
In a statement to The Inquirer, Booker, one of the Senate’s staunchest advocates of fit food and nutrition, did not accept Kennedy’s invitation but said that if the Trump administration was “serious” about these issues, he was open to working together.
“I have long led the fight to solve our nation’s food crisis, remove toxic chemicals from our food and make the farm safety net work for small farmers in New Jersey and across the country,” Booker said. “I plan to continue my efforts in the next Congress, and if the incoming administration is serious about making significant progress on these issues, I look forward to working with them.”
Trump’s transition team did not respond to a request for comment.
Booker’s office highlighted the senator’s six legislative priorities on food and agriculture, including the Protecting America’s Children from Toxic Pesticides Act of 2023. In September, Booker introduced the Safe School Meals Act of 2024, what would have been “prohibit foods containing contaminants above safe levels in or on final products served in school meals and for other purposes.”
Kennedy often focused on these issues, often blaming toxins and food system practices for causing chronic disease in the US. stated that food in the USA is “simply poison” and he said Fox News that “we have a generation of children who are now swimming in a toxic soup” regarding school lunches.
Booker isn’t alone in having overlapping priorities with Kennedy; other Democrats expressed similar positionsbut many see Kennedy’s anti-vaccine sentiments as a deal-breaker.
Booker expressed mixed feelings about Kennedy’s suitability as HHS secretary, NOTUS informed. He reaffirmed his agreement with Kennedy on certain issues, but expressed sedate concerns about “…other issues that could threaten the safety of children,” such as Kennedy’s position on vaccines.
“But I have a sense of urgency again,” Booker said. “The number one killer of Americans is diet-related diseases, and we need people to start telling the truth about our agricultural policy.”
A spokesman for Booker did not immediately respond to a request for comment on his plans to vote on Kennedy’s confirmation.
Some New Jersey food and agriculture stakeholders don’t care about political allegiances; they just want leaders and policies that will assist solve what they see as the most crucial issues in their communities, including support for local farmers, healthier food, conservation and environmental protection, and financial support from the Farm Bill, which sets out the nation’s nutrition and agriculture policies and it is usually renewed every five years.
“It’s not so important to us whether someone is a Democrat or a Republican, what matters is what position they take on various important issues,” said Jeanine Cava, co-founder and chief coordinator of the New Jersey Food Democracy Collaborative.
Devin Cornia, executive director of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey, sees the connection between “investing in good food and investing in health outcomes” as crucial and believes that if Kennedy and the senator focused on their similarities, they could “take the ball and run with her.”
“I think there’s a lot that can be done at the national level,” Cornia said. “And then if they can create and promote policies that allow local entities to operate in a way that meets the needs in that area.”
Kennedy could “disrupt” food policy, but what can he realistically do?
Nutrition experts and stakeholders are “encouraged” by Kennedy’s intention to disrupt a food system that “doesn’t seem to be working,” said David Sarwer, director of the Center for Obesity Research and Education in the College of Public Health at Temple University.
“There have been a lot of people on the political side and the academic side of the street who have been advocating for these changes without success for decades, and maybe it’s time for a disruptor at the national level to really try to shake things up that are loose and affect change,” Sarwer said.
But some of Kennedy’s priorities may be harder to achieve than others. Removing specific additives is a “tedious” process at the FDA, said Peter Lurie, president and executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The organization opposes Kennedy’s nomination due to his lack of managerial and scientific experience.
Kennedy would be better off focusing on individual chemicals on which the FDA may soon decide – such as Red 3 food coloring, titanium dioxide and aspartame – or reforming the overall approval process for the additive market, the so-called Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS),” said Lurie, who was also a former deputy commissioner for public health strategy and analysis at the FDA.
Kennedy’s other goals, such as promoting raw milk – whatever he can transmit perilous bacteriaaccording to the FDA – or liquidation of the FDA’s nutrition division responsible for nutrition labels, are harmful, Lurie said.
Kennedy may have to strike a balance because his “best ideas are not consistent with the apparent anti-regulatory ideology of the novel administration,” Lurie added. Kennedy wants to regulate ultra-processed foods, food dyes and pesticides on farms, but some of those priorities instead it may fall within this scope Environmental Protection Agency or Department of Agriculture.
“He will have to overcome the ideology of the Republican Party, as well as the opposition of the food industry, to be able to do this,” he said. “Whether he can or will remain to be seen.”
