The Trump administration has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to hear Bayer’s case aimed at stopping thousands of cancer lawsuits over its Roundup weedkiller.
Bayer CEO Bill Anderson joined “The Claman Countdown” and said the government’s support could make the difference in the case.
“This is a really important topic for farmers, for American consumers and, frankly, for food security in America,” Anderson said Wednesday during an exclusive interview with Liz Claman.
Bayer, which acquired Roundup through its 2018 purchase of Monsanto, faces tens of thousands of lawsuits from people who say the weedkiller caused their cancer. U.S. and international health agencies disagree on that claim.
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The International Agency for Research on Cancer has said glyphosate, the chemical in Roundup, is “probably carcinogenic to humans.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has found that the chemical is “not likely to be carcinogenic to humans” when used as directed.
Bayer has already paid billions to resolve Roundup claims, and it has thousands more still pending. The company argues that because the EPA decides what goes on a pesticide label, individual states cannot require different warnings.
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Bayer argues it can’t be sued for leaving off a cancer warning the federal government never required, and the Trump administration agrees.
“Glyphosate has been tested and found safe by every major food regulator, safety regulator in the world,” said Anderson, claiming it’s not a political issue.
“If you have hundreds of scientists paid for by taxpayer dollars who determine a product is safe, that has to count for something.”
Earlier this month, Solicitor General D. John Sauer of the Trump administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the case. Sauer agreed that federal pesticide law should override state-level failure-to-warn lawsuits, a move that could limit, or even shut down, thousands of claims seeking compensation in court.
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Bayer said the solicitor general’s support is a vital part of getting the Supreme Court to consider the case.
“The support of the U.S. government is an important step and good news for U.S. farmers, who need regulatory clarity,” Anderson wrote in a statement.
“The stakes could not be higher as the misapplication of federal law jeopardizes the availability of innovative tools for farmers and investments in the broader U.S. economy.”
The Trump administration’s support sent Bayer stock sharply higher, pushing its shares to their highest in years, according to Reuters.
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