{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-calls-on-epa-to-ban-use-of-paraquat-to-protect-farmworkers-and-rural-communities", "Booker Calls on EPA to Ban Use of Paraquat to Protect Farmworkers and Rural Communities", "2024-11-01", "2024", "2024-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and his Senate colleagues sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan urging the agency to ban the use of paraquat, a highly toxic pesticide linked to severe health risks, including Parkinson\u2019s disease and various forms of cancer.\n\n\u201cParaquat is a highly toxic pesticide whose continued use cannot be justified given its harms to farmworkers and rural communities. We write to urge the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ban the use of paraquat in the United States,\u201d the Senators wrote.\n\n\u201cParaquat has been linked to Parkinson\u2019s disease, thyroid cancer, and other health harms such as kidney, liver, and respiratory damage, and reproductive harm, including neurodevelopmental impact on developing fetuses. In rural areas, exposure to paraquat and other pesticides during pregnancy can increase the risk of leukemia,\u201d the Senators continued.\n\nThere has been a global movement away from paraquat, with over 70 countries\u2014including China, Brazil, and members of the European Union\u2014banning its use. Additionally, data from the EPA indicates that the majority of U.S. farmers do not rely on paraquat for their crops.\n\nGiven the documented health hazards associated with paraquat, the case for its ban is clear. The EPA must prioritize the safety and well-being of farmworkers and rural communities, who should not be subjected to preventable health harms.\n\n\u201cWe urge you to protect the health of farmworkers and rural residents by banning paraquat,\u201d the Senators concluded.\n\nThe letter is cosigned by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Peter Welch (D-VT).\n\nTo read the full text of the letter, click here.\n\nEarlier this month, 47 Members of Congress sent a letter to the EPA, also urging a ban on paraquat.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:07:06Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-calls-on-epa-to-ban-use-of-paraquat-to-protect-farmworkers-and-rural-communities"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.902147963643074, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}