One Year of Trump-Vance: Rolling Back Protections and Gutting Food and Health Programs

It has been one year since the Trump-Vance administration took office, and the wreckage they have left across food, agriculture, health, and climate systems is clear and alarming. Their approach has been consistent: dismantle protections, slash funding, and prioritize corporate interests over public welfare.

In May 2025 alone, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested dozens of farmworkers in New York and Nebraska, signaling a harsh crackdown on the very labor force that sustains American agriculture. Meanwhile, the USDA saw at least 15,000 employees resign under pressure, a staggering loss of institutional knowledge and expertise.

The administration’s rollback of regulations has been swift and sweeping. The USDA rescinded decades-old rules requiring farmers to track usage of the most harmful pesticides, putting public health at greater risk. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced plans to undo national standards on toxic PFAS chemicals in drinking water, a move that threatens clean water protections for millions.

Legislative efforts have followed suit. The House Agriculture Committee advanced a bill cutting up to $300 billion from food aid programs, shifting costs to states and jeopardizing nutrition for millions of Americans. The Senate’s competing bill would slash $209 billion from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, a devastating blow to the fight against hunger.

The administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) Commission released a controversial report blaming chronic disease in children on vaccines and medications, citing studies that do not exist. This misinformation campaign culminated in the Department of Health and Human Services canceling critical vaccine trials, including one for bird flu protection.

Environmental rollbacks continue with proposals to reverse Biden-era drilling bans in Alaska and approval of industrial-scale fish farming in federal waters, jeopardizing fragile ecosystems. The administration also pulled out of a multi-state salmon recovery agreement, dismissing it as “radical environmentalism.”

Diversity and equity initiatives have not been spared. The USDA terminated over $148 million in funding aimed at supporting socially disadvantaged farmers and promoting environmental justice, signaling a retreat from commitments to address systemic inequities.

Even the labor protections for farmworkers are being eroded. The Department of Labor announced it will no longer enforce expanded protections for guest workers under the H-2A visa program, aligning with Trump’s strict immigration enforcement despite industry warnings about labor shortages.

Amid these aggressive moves, Trump himself acknowledged on social media that his immigration crackdown is hurting key industries like farming and hospitality. Yet no policy changes are planned to shield these workers from further raids.

One year in, the Trump-Vance administration’s record on food, agriculture, health, and climate is a blueprint for dismantling government safeguards and shifting burdens onto the most vulnerable. This is not just a policy shift — it is an authoritarian overreach that threatens the very fabric of American democracy and public well-being. We will keep tracking every step of this dangerous undoing.