Iowa Democrat: MAHA bill uses "folklore," not science скачать в хорошем качестве

Iowa Democrat: MAHA bill uses "folklore," not science

Democratic State Representative Austin Baeth, a medical doctor, spoke to statehouse reporters on March 5, 2026 about a so-called "MAHA" bill House Republicans had approved on March 3. Baeth said the bill "missed the mark." Iowa's cancer crisis could have been an opportunity for legislators to come together to make Iowans healthier. The bill would make it legal to provide ivermectin over the counter, giving legal and licensing immunity to pharmacists who dispense it. Baeth argued that was probably because ivermectin is not safe enough to be provided without a prescription, and has no use for people who don't have roundworm. Instead of using science to make Iowans healthier, this bill "uses folklore." He compared ivermectin to the "bloodletting and leeches of yesterday." Baeth also criticized a Republican amendment that would replace federal school nutrition guidelines with our own state recommendations, prioritizing meat, dairy, vegetables, and fruit. The amendment called for the state to ask for a federal exemption from regulations limiting sodium and encouraging whole grains. Baeth had offered an amendment to strike out the ivermectin provision, which Republicans voted down. He offered a different amendment that would require schools to provide drinking water with lower nitrate levels. The speaker ruled that amendment not germane, and Republicans voted down Baeth's motion to suspend the rules to allow for its consideration.