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HI Readers,
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Food Poison
Journal
Posted
at 3:04 PM on July 30, 2009 by Dan Flynn
US House Passes
Food Safety Enhancement Act Of 2009 With Large Bipartisan Majority
Republicans did
not like how the Democrats did it, but they provided enough votes Thursday to
see the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 pass the U.S. House of
Representatives with a strong bipartisan vote of 283-to-142.
Just before
passing the biggest food safety reform since 1938, the House Democrats had to
turn back a “last stand” attempt led by mostly rural Republicans to
send the bill back to committee "with instructions." That
died by an almost perfect party-line vote of 186 - to- 240.
Those
“instructions” called for half the funds from new registration fees
to be used to reimburse farmers for losses like those experienced last year by
tomato growers when FDA erroneously thought they were responsible for a
salmonella outbreak. Growers claim that mistake by FDA cost them
$100 million.
Defeat of the
GOP motion cleared the way for passage of the most comprehensive reform of food
safety in the United States since 1938 . It was adopted after a rule
limiting amendments and limiting debate to one hour passed 249 to 180.
Michigan
Democrat John Dingell, the longest serving member of the House, said H.R. 2749
“was old enough to vote” itself in that he has been working on
reforms contained in the bill for 21 years.
Dingell read
many sections of the bill aloud before the vote to assure small and organic
farmers, livestock and grain farmers, and those concerned about environmental
practices that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is not going to
run wild as a result of the legislation.
Rep. Collin
Peterson, Chairman of House Agriculture Committee, said with those changes Ag
groups were either supportive or neutral on the FDA bill.
Yesterday, the
same bill fell just short of getting the required two-thirds vote for
fast-track passage with 280 votes in favor and 150 against.
Florida
Republican Adam Putnam said H.R. 2749 would result in a “modern,
effective regulatory system” becoming a reality.
FDA, which gets
new risk-based inspection and trace-back authority along with a $500 per
facility fee for the food-making facilities it regulates, will oversea both
domestic and foreign food products that are imported to the U.S.
“Foreigners
now have to meet the same standards as Americans,” Dingell said.
Proponents
argued that the reforms contained in H.R. 2749 are needed as much by consumers
as producers. “We have to have confidence in our food
supply,” said Illinois Republican John Shimkus.
Under H.R. 2749,
FDA gets recall authority, immediate access to records,
and subpoena authority.
New York
Democrat Louise Slaughter, who managed the rule on the floor, said 76
million food-borne illnesses and 5,000 deaths are reasons enough to bring H.R.
2749 back for a vote.
The 132-page
bill now goes to the Senate where Illinois Democrat Dick Durham is waiting with
his own bill. Likely as not, any Senate bill will contain enough differences
to require a Conference Committee to work out differences. President Obama
endorsed the House bill before today’s vote.
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Brittany
- July 31, 2009 6:01 AM
I think the
article is referring to Senator Richard DURBIN's food bill, S. 510, the FDA
Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009.
Marler
Clark LLP, PS
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Vicki
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Dept
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Lansing, MI 48824
517-353-3542/517-282-3557
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for
information on organic and sustaianable farming and news & events
Vicki
Morrone
303
Natural Resources Bldg
C.S.
Mott Group
Dept
of CARRS
East
Lansing, MI 48824
517-353-3542/517-282-3557
(cell)
www.MichiganOrganic.msu.edu for information on
organic and sustaianable farming and news & events