SALT LAKE CITY — Two of the Trump administration's top officials appeared in Utah on Monday to promote a series of bills they said align strongly with the "Make America Healthy Again" agenda.
The bills ban flouride from water, ban SNAP benefits from buying soda pop and ban some food additives from school lunches.
"Utah is taking the lead in so many ways," said U.S. Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
In particular, Kennedy praised House Bill 81, which bans fluoride from public water systems in Utah. At a news conference on Monday at the University of Utah, Kennedy argued that science has changed and there are harms from fluoride.
"It makes no sense to have it in our water supply. I’m very, very proud of this state for being the first to ban it and I hope many more will come," Kennedy said to applause from a crowd.
Davis and Salt Lake counties and Brigham City are the only places in Utah that fluoridate their water. It was allowed through public votes. The bill by Rep. Stephanie Gricius, R-Eagle Mountain, would ban it and instead offer a prescription for anyone who wants fluoride.
"I've had legislators, county commissioners from states across the country reaching out saying, 'What is Utah doing, how did you do this?' with the intent of duplicating what we did in Utah," Rep. Gricius told FOX 13 News.
In his own remarks, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin suggested that his agency may take its own action.
"What EPA is going to do? Is go back and look at these studies that have come out since July 2024 and we’re prepared to act based on this science," he said.
Outside the news conference, several dozen protested Kennedy in particular and the policies of the Trump administration. Others FOX 13 News spoke with said they do not believe the federal leaders are relying on accurate science.
"I am very disappointed that we have somebody in that position in our country who has this opinion and doesn’t appear to be looking at what we call settled science," said Lorna Korci of the Utah Oral Health Coalition. "Fluoride has been around for 80 years. It has been proven to be safe and effective."
Darren Chamberlain, a pediatric dentist and board member of the Utah Dental Association, said the result of the legislature's fluoride ban will be more dental problems and increased costs for Utah families.
"We’re going to see an increase in cavities. Especially in children," he said. "There’s no question about it. The research shows a minimum of 25% increase."
Kennedy also took time to praise Rep. Kristen Chevrier's bills on food. House Bill 403 asks for a federal waiver to ban SNAP benefits from being used to purchase soda pop. Kennedy suggested U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins was inclined to grant it. He also spoke favorably about her House Bill 402, which takes a list of additives and removes them from school lunches.
While she originally proposed a ban on SNAP benefits from being used to purchase candy and removed it during bill negotiations, Rep. Chevrier, R-Highland, told FOX 13 News she didn't see much opposition to her bill on additives.
"It’s the right thing to do. Do we want our kids to learn? Do we want to be healthy? Do we want them to grow up to be healthy adults? We do. I think it’s the right direction to go," she said.
While in Salt Lake City, Kennedy and Zeldin were seen meeting with Lt. Governor Deidre Henderson (Governor Spencer Cox is in Canada on a trade mission this week) and other state officials. House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, said he did press the administration to allow Utah to take over many federal programs, including Medicaid and Medicare.
"We know that Utah can manage it more effectively, more efficiently and more affordably," he said."It does two things, it puts the power back with the citizens of the state where it belongs but it also does it at a cost much lesser than the federal can do it, cutting out all the bureaucracy and red tape."
When FOX 13 News asked Kennedy about it? He suggested the Trump administration was open to it.
"The best ideas are coming from the grassroots and coming from the bottom up," he said. "We are determined to do that and we’re talking about doing it already and we’re going to move very quickly."
