Taxpayer Advocate Pete Sepp: Washington State's Cookware Rules Go "Overboard"

Published September 29, 2026 · Featuring Pete Sepp of National Taxpayers Union

Pete Sepp, president of the National Taxpayers Union, discusses Washington State's cookware regulations and their implications for taxpayers in this podcast epi

Pete Sepp, President of the National Taxpayers Union, discusses the implications of chemical regulation, tax policy, environmental regulation, and healthcare costs on taxpayers in the latest episode of the Health Policy Podcast. Sepp highlights the potential financial burdens of stringent chemical regulations, particularly in Washington State.

WASHINGTON — September 29, 2026 — Pete Sepp, President of the National Taxpayers Union, appeared on the Health Policy Podcast to discuss the impact of Washington State's chemical regulations on taxpayers. The episode covers the intersection of chemical regulation, tax policy, and healthcare costs, emphasizing the importance of a balanced approach to environmental regulation.

Sepp argues that excessive regulation can lead to increased costs for taxpayers, particularly in the healthcare sector. "Without chemicals, life for taxpayers would be a lot more expensive," he said. He explained that as regulations make certain substances unaffordable or unusable, the financial burden often shifts to taxpayers through programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

The discussion also touched on the precautionary principle, which Sepp criticized for leading to subjective regulatory decisions. "The problem comes in when subjective judgments get made, not based on scientific evidence, but on something that many of us call the precautionary principle," he stated. He pointed out that Washington State's regulations on substances like PTFE are overly broad, equating it with PFAS without acknowledging their differences.

The National Taxpayers Union is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization founded in 1969 that advocates for lower, fairer, and simpler taxes, less wasteful government spending, and economic freedom for all taxpayers.

About the Health Policy Podcast

The Health Policy Podcast focuses on issues related to energy, infrastructure, policy, and economic growth, providing insights from experts in the field to inform listeners about the complexities of health policy.

About National Taxpayers Union

The National Taxpayers Union is a taxpayer advocacy organization focused on promoting lower taxes, limited government, fiscal responsibility, and free-market economic policies through research, education, and legislative advocacy.

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About the Guest

Pete Sepp — President

As NTU President, Pete Sepp leads the non-profit, non-partisan National Taxpayers Union’s (NTU’s) government affairs, public relations, and development activities. Pete also oversees strategic planning for NTU and its staff, and supervises the research and educational operations of the National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF). Since beginning his service with NTU in 1988, Pete has written and edited numerous policy papers, informational publications, and activist manuals, as well as studies on topics such as Congressional perquisites, citizen-initiated tax revolts, antitrust and competition regulation, and Pentagon spending. He has testified before Congress on matters ranging from Government-Sponsored Enterprises in lending to Medicare and federal pension reforms, from underground infrastructure to small business taxpayer concerns. He has lectured in the U.S. and abroad on issues such as tax administration reform, and has lobbied on numerous legislative matters including the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act and successor proposals, the Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment, and the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act. Pete has appeared on every major television network, and regularly provides interviews and commentaries to cable channels such as CNN, CNBC, and the Fox Business. He is a frequent guest on radio programs from coast-to-coast, and has been widely featured in print media, including The New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, U.S. News & World Report, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes, and Money Magazine. Pete graduated cum laude from Webster University in St. Louis, MO with a degree in History and Political Science. Before coming to NTU, Sepp served with the St. Louis County Board of Elections and with a U.S. Senate campaign.

About the Health Policy Podcast

The Health Policy Podcast hosts conversations on energy, infrastructure, policy and economic growth — interviewing the operators, regulators, and innovators powering America's grid, gas, nuclear, and industrial future. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.