Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) has introduced a bill codifying President Trump’s executive order ending the forced use of paper straws.
“Soggy paper straws that disintegrate mid-sip are not just an inconvenience; they’re a symbol of how far the Left is willing to go to impose its radical climate agenda,” Tenney said of the bill. “Paper straws often cost more, function worse, and can carry a larger carbon footprint than plastic straws. The Better Straws Act upholds President Trump’s commitment to common sense by banning federally mandated paper straws and putting consumers back in charge.”
President Trump’s February order called the efforts against plastic straws “irrational.”
“Plastic straws are often replaced by paper straws, which are nonfunctional, use chemicals that may carry risks to human health, are more expensive to produce than plastic straws, and often force users to use multiple straws,” the order read. “Additionally, paper straws sometimes come individually wrapped in plastic, undermining the environmental argument for their use.”
A March White House report further explains that paper straws pose numerous safety hazards, including choking risks, and contain “forever chemicals.”
“As paper straws disintegrate, they pose a choking hazard—particularly for young children,” the report said. “Other developed countries are waking up to the reality of this unacceptable risk, and the Netherlands and Finland have both issued official warnings about the dangers of paper straws.”
A 2023 study found that the presence of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in most paper and bamboo straws threatens human health. Continuous exposure to these chemicals has been linked to increased blood pressure in expectant mothers, a higher risk of kidney cancer, and altered liver enzymes.
