WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today for failing to release Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s calendar and schedule. The lawsuit also seeks information about the development of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, including related communications with the beef industry.

The suit comes on the heels of the Make America Healthy Again Commission’s report, which falsely calls the dietary guidelines “compromised” and promotes consumption of beef, dairy and lard despite their association with increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and premature death. RFK Jr. has indicated that the updated guidelines will be released as early as this summer and that he does not plan to follow the Scientific Report of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.

“Despite criticizing industry influence on our food system, the MAHA report reads like it could have been written by the beef and dairy industry, which raises serious concerns about the forthcoming dietary guidelines,” said Stephanie Feldstein, population and sustainability director at the Center. “The guidelines drive our country’s dietary health and more than $40 billion in government spending. Americans have a right to know if that money’s being gambled on industry favors instead of spent on foods recommended by our top nutrition scientists.”

There were widespread hopes that the MAHA report would take on toxic pesticides. But the chemical and commodity crop industries, along with their allies in the EPA, USDA and Congress, lobbied RFK Jr. and others heavily to ensure their profits were protected. The final report merely mentions the nation’s two most heavily used pesticides, atrazine and glyphosate, and does not make any concrete recommendations.

“The public has the right to know how RFK Jr.’s been spending his days, especially given the MAHA commission report’s underwhelming showing on pesticides despite his promises of big bold action,” said Lori Ann Burd, environmental health director at the Center. “We’ve been promised radical transparency, and now it’s time to put words into action.”

Secretary Kennedy has repeatedly stated that many of the most-used pesticides in the United States, including atrazine, neonicotinoids, glyphosate and organophosphates, are “extraordinarily toxic.” He has warned that pesticides — many of which have scientifically well-documented links to cancer, infertility, obesity and developmental disorders — are significant contributors to chronic health problems faced by people across the nation.

Since his election President Trump has criticized the “industrial food complex” and agribusiness and pledged that his administration will address the chronic disease crisis and ensure that everyone is protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants and pesticides. Yet the administration has moved to roll back limits on PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” in drinking water and taken other steps to reverse, water down or delay protections against pollutants.

Today’s lawsuit comes after the Center submitted a Freedom of Information Act request in March for these public records. FOIA is meant to ensure public access to information about the functioning of federal agencies by guaranteeing a response within 20 business days of a request.

The suit was filed in D.C. District Court.