Food Safety Enhancement Act
August recess begins next week, when members of Congress leave town to touch base with folks in their home districts and mend whatever fences need mending.
In these last days before adjournment, the Obama administration has been applying serious pressure on lawmakers to get its priority bills passed by at least one house. But while the media and general public focus on the politically charged bills dealing with health care, climate change and hate crimes, less attention-grabbing proposals have been moved along in a series of congressional sneak attacks.
One of these — H.R. 2749, the Food Safety Enhancement Act (FSEA) of 2009 – is scheduled to be voted on by the House today.Opponents hoped it would be voted on later this week, but the House Leadership is determined to push it through and the bill has been placed “on suspension,” meaning that debate will be limited to just 40 minutes and no amendments will be considered. A two-thirds vote will be required for HR 2749 to pass, instead of a simple majority.
“This bill would impose extensive fees and regulation on anyone processing food, including those selling at farmers markets and other local venues,” the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance warns. “H.R. 2749 also directs the Food and Drug Administration to regulate how crops are raised and harvested, putting the agency directly on the farm.”
Introduced early last month by Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., the FSEA is similar to the Food Safety Modernization Act (H.R. 875) and six others on the same subject that created a huge furor among bloggers on the Internet this past March. Supporters said that some kind of measure was needed to protect consumers from food-borne illnesses, but critics claimed it would saddle farmers and small food producers with unnecessary and costly paperwork and put the federal government in charge of American farming practices and food production, without making food any safer.
Letters were written to Congress, faxes and e-mails sent, and the blogosphere buzzed with discussions. But when no committee hearings were held on any of them or even scheduled, the bills apparently faded from public awareness. As reported on News with Views
The article goes on, but bloggers, etc. do you really want to see people who just want to participate in their local farmer’s markets be hurt by this excessive and unnecessary legislation? If not, please consider contacting your local Senator and Representatives and tell them you cannot support H.R. 2749, the Food Safety Enhancement Act. Do it for yourself, for your neighbor and for those who depend on farmer’s markets so much.
Three Ways to Contact your Representative:
- Sign the FTCLDF’s Petition and the American Association of Health Freedom’s Petition.
- Go to “My Elected Officials” at www.congress.org - and enter your zip code to find your legislators. Call and/or send a fax.
- Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 to contact your Representative’s office.
