House Republicans quietly inserted, and then just as quietly removed, a highly controversial provision from the 2026 Interior and Environment spending bill after a firestorm of public outrage exposed what critics called a blatant attempt to shield powerful chemical corporations from accountability.
Section 453 of H.R. 4754 would have blocked federal funding for the EPA to update pesticide labels, guidance, or policy if those updates differed in any way from prior health assessments, even when new science emerged showing increased risks.
After intense pressure from watchdog groups and conservative commentators, House leadership yanked the provision before the bill heads to the floor this week.
The now-removed language stated:
“SEC. 453. None of the funds made available by this or any other Act may be used to issue or adopt any guidance or any policy, take any regulatory action, or approve any labeling or change to such labeling that is inconsistent with or in any respect different from the conclusion of
(a) a human health assessment performed pursuant to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act; or
(b) a carcinogenicity classification for a pesticide.”
In plain English: freeze pesticide labels in place, regardless of emerging science.
Critics warned this would allow manufacturers to argue in court that it was “impossible” to update warnings — effectively gutting failure-to-warn lawsuits and stripping families of legal recourse when harm occurs.
Children’s Health Defense led the charge, issuing an urgent warning that Section 453 would “wipe out your right to sue pesticide companies.”
The group wrote on X:
Congress is about to wipe out your right to sue pesticide companies, quietly tucked in a new spending bill.
Section 453 blocks updated health warnings and gives chemical manufacturers immunity even when people are harmed.
Cancer.
Parkinson’s.
Infertility.57,000+ products.
Zero accountability.This must be pulled NOW before it reaches the floor.
—
Section 453 freezes pesticide labels in place, even when new science shows harm.
Outdated labels mean no warning.
No informed consent.57,000+ pesticide products would be shielded from failure-to-warn lawsuits.
This is a LIABILITY SHIELD for pesticide companies.
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Why is 453 being pushed?
Bayer, the German manufacturer of glyphosate (active ingredient in Roundup), has experienced a stock price crash and is on the hook for $16 billion in settlements from glyphosate cancer litigation. They are repeatedly losing court cases because of the overwhelming evidence that glyphosate is connected to Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Similarly, Paraquat, manufactured by ChemChina, is tightly connected to Parkinson’s Disease, and litigation is underway. It is a pesticide that is banned for use in China, yet they sell it to us and now want legal immunity when we get Parkinson’s from their product.
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Here’s the trick:
Section 453 blocks EPA funding needed to approve label updates.Companies then claim in court it was “impossible” to warn you.
Lawsuits get dismissed.
Victims get nothing.Supporters claim this “prevents patchwork labels.”
That’s false.Federal law already preempts state labels.
Section 453 doesn’t clarify law — instead it removes accountability.
This is misinformation pushed by chemical interests.
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Who benefits?
Chemical manufacturers facing massive liability for cancer, neurological disease, and infertility.Who loses?
Families.
Farmers.
Workers.
Children.—
Once this bill hits the floor, it cannot be changed.
No amendments.
No fixes.
No second chances.This decision is being made behind closed doors right now.
Public pressure right now is the only way to stop it.
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TAKE ACTION:
Contact your representatives to REMOVE Section 453 before the FY26 Interior bill reaches the floor next week.This provision strips Americans of legal rights and shields chemical manufacturers from accountability.
Pull Section 453.
Protect families.
URGENT: Congress is about to wipe out your right to sue pesticide companies, quietly, tucked in a new spending bill.
Section 453 blocks updated health warnings and gives chemical manufacturers immunity even when people are harmed.
Cancer. Parkinson’s. Infertility.
57,000+… pic.twitter.com/Z9h7pgcROD
— Children’s Health Defense (@ChildrensHD) January 2, 2026
MAHA Action also wrote on X:
“MAHA we need your voice now.
Big Chem is quietly pushing for pesticide immunity through Section 453 in a congressional spending bill.
This would protect pesticide companies from accountability even when their products harm people.
No company should be above the law.
Call your congressional representatives and DEMAND Section 453 be removed now!”
MAHA we need your voice now.
Big Chem is quietly pushing for pesticide immunity through Section 453 in a congressional spending bill.
This would protect pesticide companies from accountability even when their products harm people.
No company should be above the law.
Call your… pic.twitter.com/YyIxQbaU7G
— MAHA Action (@MAHA_Action) January 4, 2026
Conservative commentator Brett Cooper also amplified concerns, questioning why Republicans would carry water for multinational chemical companies while voters increasingly demand transparency, accountability, and public-health safeguards.
HOLY CRAP.
House Republicans are quietly slipping Section 453 into the spending bill — a provision that would give pesticide companies immunity from lawsuits for the harm they cause.
Brett Cooper is calling it out: this could shield tens of thousands of chemicals, many linked… pic.twitter.com/pphOc1xhaP
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) January 5, 2026
Public pressure exploded on X and beyond, with MAHA Action leading the charge. And guess what? It worked! In a post, MAHA Action declared victory:
“MAHA WE DID IT! Section 453 granting pesticide companies immunity from harm has been removed from the upcoming House spending bill! The Senate version of the bill also does NOT contain Section 453. Once again MAHA has proven just how powerful our voice is when we come together on an issue.”
MAHA WE DID IT!
Section 453 granting pesticide companies immunity from harm has been removed from the upcoming House spending bill!
The Senate version of the bill also does NOT contain Section 453.
Once again MAHA has proven just how powerful our voice is when we come… pic.twitter.com/Akfbp7AHVQ
— MAHA Action (@MAHA_Action) January 5, 2026
The post EXPOSED: House Republicans Quietly Slipped Pesticide “Immunity” Into Spending Bill — Now FORCED to Yank Section 453 After Massive Backlash appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.