One Big Beautiful Opportunity? Perhaps
Karen Howard, CEO & Executive Director, Organic & Natural Health AssociationThere is a 1961 quote by Charles de Gaulle that reads, “Politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians.” The quote was a reply to a comment by then former Prime Minister Attlee stating, “De Gaulle is a very good soldier and a very bad politician.”
Looking back on this past year, and frankly several before that, I find comfort in the fact that today’s political environment may not be any worse than any historical era with one caveat. Civilized discourse, witty banter, sometimes even common sense, seem sadly lacking from the halls of Congress.
This time last year, we were all speculating on Mr. Kennedy’s ascent to Health and Human Services with his captains, Drs. Oz and McCarey. The vision proved correct. Also, correct? The assertion that Big Agriculture and Big Pharma would stymie the majority of Secretary Kennedy’s initiatives for food and nutrition, and that the State of Texas would take the lead on making Americans healthy again. We took that energy and held the first My Health Alliance lobby day and reception on Capitol Hill; a success that we will recreate in 2026. That concludes patting ourselves on the back.
The crystal ball is as cloudy as the political situation is murky for 2026. Consumer confidence in the economy is waffling due to inflation, and a high level of plain ‘ol uncertainty. Tariffs have left the supply chain in a precarious position. Bioengineering funding might be flagging, but the tech world’s toys continue to creep into our supply chain, regardless of consumer wants or interests.
Public policy changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill are being enforced by the Department of Education to change health care in a highly unique way. The definition of Professional Degree, a vehicle for accessing up to $50,000/year ($200,000 lifetime) in student loans, is being restricted to a smaller number of health professions. This includes physicians, dentists, pharmacists, and lawyers (who play a major role in our health care system. Noted as a way to take “woke” out of the healthcare system, this could leave individuals pursuing doctoral degrees in naturopathic medicine, social work, nursing, public health, and physical therapy, to name a few, with twice as much debt.
It should go without saying, many of these practitioners are treating the consumers we seek to support. All the while, the health care concerns we hold dear, access to supplements like vitamin D3, quality ingredients, elimination of toxins in our food, and even perhaps, DSHEA 2.0, are orphaned, with no real home or champion to count on.
So many issues, where is a trade association to start? We start with collaboration. The beauty of Organic & Natural Health Association is that we are intentional in our objective to represent the entirety of the supply chain. I must repeat that a thousand times a year, but at no time has it been this important.
Collaboration with retailers who are on the front line with their consumers helps ensure that their customers have access to the highest-quality, most effective products available. Working with quality brands enables us to understand their economic pressures and the struggle to rise above competitors that may not ask enough questions about the integrity of their supply chain. Representing the elite of the raw ingredient suppliers is our lifeline to the health of consumers and the health of the planet where extraction could put us in the face of extinction. And most importantly, staying connected to the Earth forces us to address the unspoken risks to limited resources, adulteration, and the proliferation of chemicals and pesticides that jeopardize health every day.
So yes, we are highly likely to create bold proposals for DSHEA. We will continue to call out the high-rolling tech geeks who are creating new food chemicals. We will launch quality consumer education initiatives. And, we will create new alliances to ensure progress, and success where possible. All quality companies and associations who value camaraderie, quality, and integrity are welcome to join us!
