legislation that could shield the company from billions of dollars in lawsuits, part of a national campaign to defeat claims that its weedkiller Roundup causes cancer in people who use it frequently.
In Washington, the company recently has set its sights on the sweeping legislation known as the farm bill, which Congress must adopt every five years to sustain federal agriculture and nutrition programs.
Bayer previously set aside $16 billion to resolve Roundup-related cases, and it has fought vigorously to reduce the damages — with varying degrees of success. It persuaded a court in June toto $400 million, while signaling it would further appeal the ruling, as it looks to mount a broader legal challenge against the authority of state and local governments to regulate pesticide and herbicide warning labels in the first place.
“They’ve been losing, so they’re coming to Congress with hat in hand trying to change the law,” said Daniel Savery, a senior legislative representative for Earthjustice, a climate advocacy group., which would limit state and local governments from issuing their own rules about pesticide safety warnings.
Anderson, Bayer’s CEO, also has visited Washington multiple times since last fall to press his company’s political interests, the company confirmed. Bayer further relied on the support and reach of other industry groups, including CropLife America, which represents pesticide and fertilizer manufacturers.