Capitol Pulse Breakdown: Healthy Food

In the past decade, America’s relationship with food has gone through a glow-up. Whole Foods used to be the turf of Birkenstock-wearing, deodorant-dodging “crunchy” types. Now? It’s just as likely to be a stop for a Republican staffer grabbing a smoothie in Navy Yard.

Sure, the U.S. is still the world leader in ultra-processed snacks and ranks among the most obese countries; but lately, “healthy eating” and stricter standards are going mainstream.

From RFK Jr. to the Food Babe to Bobby Parrish, health and nutrition influencers are racking up followers and power. CNCT’s Capitol Pulse data shows Congressional staffers are on board.

Here’s a look…

Staffers want the U.S. to be more like… Europe??

Let’s start with the question that was asked in 2024, prior to Bobby Kennedy taking the helm as HHS Secretary: “Would you support stronger regulation of food ingredients in the U.S. similar to Europe?”

📊 97% of Democrats and 81% of Republicans said yes — a rare bipartisan slam dunk.

The most enthusiastic? Staff under 30 (90% yes) vs. over 30 (73% yes).
The most resistant? Republican staffers over 30.

We can’t think of many times in recent history where both parties have agreed that America’s best solution is to be more like Europe! Health and nutrition truly are bipartisan issues. 

Keep reading for a dive into food dyes and processed food…

Live Free or Dye

Things may have been bipartisan in 2024, but in 2025 we’ve seen health and nutrition begin to become a polarizing issue – as, unfortunately, most things do. However, that has not stopped both sides from agreeing we could do more to protect American food. 

Here are two other questions we’ve asked in the last few months regarding food health standards: 

“Would you support a ban on heavily processed foods?” Simply put, the overwhelming sentiment is “yes.”

Both Republicans and Democrats voted most for a partial ban at a 44% and 37% rate, respectively. Coming in second, Republicans and Democrats voted for “yes, fully” at 38% and 29%, respectively. 

Looks like we can all agree the grocery aisle needs a clean-up — we just differ on whether to sweep the crumbs into the trash or burn down the whole bakery.

The other question that garnered bipartisan support was regarding food dyes:

“Do you support RFK Jr.'s ban on petroleum-based synthetic food dyes?” 

This one leaned more heavily on GOP support but still garnered substantial bipartisan support with 82% of Republicans voting “yes” and 54% of Democrats voting the same way. Meanwhile, those who voted “no” were predominantly Democrats at a 32% rate. Overall, about 13% of staffers were unsure how they felt about this issue.

At least we’re united on one front: no one’s asking for a side of petroleum with their meal. Now, let’s talk about the real oil spill in our diets: seed oils.

Keep reading for a dive into seed oils…

Uncertainty on Seed Oils

The only food health-related question we’ve asked that hasn’t yielded clear bipartisan support is related to seed oils. 

We asked staffers, “What are your thoughts on seed oils?”

  • Ban them → 40%

  • They’re fine → 23%

  • Unsure → 37%

Republicans lean toward banning, Democrats lean toward “unsure,” but neither camp is rushing to defend them. “They’re fine” was the least popular answer among both parties.

The seed oil debate is only going to heat up, so this August might be the perfect time to dive in and decide where you stand.

Keep reading for our takeaways…

What’s on the legislative menu?

Two big takeaways:

  1. Most issues regarding broader regulation over health and nutrition are typically a shoo-in for bipartisan support.

  2. RFK Jr. may be divisive politically, but his food health agenda is one of the few things bringing staffers from both parties to the same table.

RFK Jr.’s message on food health seems to cut through the often partisan results that we see when policies are tied to a specific politician. It will be interesting to see how this bipartisan support can lead to increased legislation and new ideas. 

Could bipartisan legislation on health and nutrition be on the menu in the coming months?

Oh, and yes — this breakdown is Bobby Approved ✅