ICYMI: Heartland Signal: Ashley Hinson has history of promoting China-owned, ‘probably carcinogenic’ pesticide for cancer-ravaged Iowa

Heartland Signal reported earlier today on Ashley Hinson’s ties to a China-owned company producing a ‘probably carcinogenic’ pesticide and her continued promotion of its use despite Iowa’s alarmingly high cancer rate:

U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) has a history of prioritizing the interests of foreign agriculture companies — even at the expense of public health for her constituents — with her promotion of a highly toxic pesticide.

In 2022, Hinson participated in a panel hosted by Syngenta, a pesticide manufacturer purchased by ChemChina in 2017. ChemChina is one of the largest chemical companies owned by the Chinese government. Syngenta also donated $2,500 to Hinson’s congressional campaign during the 2022 midterms.

The following year, Hinson was one of several Republican lawmakers to sign a letter advocating for atrazine, a widely used pesticide manufactured by Syngenta. Multiple studies have linked atrazine exposure to increased risk of cancer, birth defects and fertility issues. Last month, the World Health Organization made a statement saying atrazine is “probably carcinogenic to humans.”

Atrazine has been banned in the European Union since 2004 for its harmful effects on humans and the environment, but it remains the second-most widely used herbicide in the United States, despite efforts to ban the chemical. A 2018 study by the Environmental Working Group also found that around 30 million Americans in 28 different states had some level of atrazine in their drinking water.

In 2023, the Biden administration announced potential restrictions on the use of atrazine, prompting a written letter from Hinson and some of her colleagues.

“For nearly 60 years, atrazine has been a reliable and proven herbicide for effective and efficient sustainable farming practices,” the letter says. “Crop protection tools registered through FIFRA, like atrazine, are vital to the sustainability, efficiency, and effectiveness of our nation’s food supply, which is why the integrity of a science-driven FIFRA process cannot be undermined.”

Iowa has the second-highest cancer rate in the United States. One study from the Agricultural Health Study found that exposure to pesticides like atrazine led to a disproportionate rate of prostate cancer among farmers in Iowa and North Carolina.

Despite the risks of atrazine, the Environmental Protection Agency under both of President Donald Trump’s administrations have reauthorized the use and dismissed the harms of the chemical. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again initiative has also been criticized for downplaying the dangers of pesticides and using agriculture industry talking points in official reports.

Hinson did not respond to a request to comment on whether she approves of the administration’s decision on atrazine and if she still supports its use in Iowa.

Hinson, 42, has served as a U.S. representative since 2021, and she is seeking the Republican nomination for Iowa’s U.S. Senate race in 2026. Incumbent Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) announced she would not seek another term. Ernst’s announcement came after she received severe backlash for her town hall response to Medicaid cuts, where she dismissed that the cuts would kill people because “well, we are all going to die.”