Fw: Kucinich Introduces Labeling Bill in House!

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

 

If you haven't already contacted your representatative

regarding these newly introduced bills, please do so. It

will only take a few moments of your time.

 

You can download a letter for your representative here:

http://www.thecampaign.org/national.php#write

 

You can also contact your representative by email, but a

letter, fax or phone call is more effective.

 

It's not just the food we eat today at stake, but the food

supply of future generations.

 

Thank you,

John Draper

 

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" News Update from The Campaign " <newsupdate

Monday, July 28, 2003 1:26 PM

Kucinich Introduces Labeling Bill in House!

 

News Update From The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods

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Dear News Update Subscribers,

 

Great news! Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) introduced the

Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act of 2003 in the House of

Representatives on Friday. The bill number assigned to it is H.R. 2916.

 

In addition to the labeling legislation, Kucinich also introduced five

other bills that deal with the regulation of genetically engineered

crops.

 

Posted below are a press release from Kucinich that announces the bills

and a summary of the bills that includes the initial co-sponsors.

 

The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods endorses all six

bills, but our primary goal is to get the Genetically Engineered Food

Right to Know Act passed into law. This 108th Congress runs through

October 2004 and we are entering into an election year. So the climate

has never been better for us to get Congressional action on labeling

genetically engineered foods.

 

If you do not see your member of the House of Representatives listed as

a co-sponsor on H.R. 2916, then your primary objective is to get him or

her to co-sponsor the bill. If your House Representative is holding any

public meetings in your area during their summer break, you might want

to attend such a meeting to request that he or she co-sponsor H.R. 2916

- the Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act of 2003.

 

We will be updating our web site later this week to reflect the new bill

numbers for the legislation.

 

Craig Winters

Executive Director

The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods

 

The Campaign

PO Box 55699

Seattle, WA 98155

Tel: 425-771-4049

Fax: 603-825-5841

E-mail: label

Web Site: http://www.thecampaign.org

 

Mission Statement: " To create a national grassroots consumer campaign

for the purpose of lobbying Congress and the President to pass

legislation that will require the labeling of genetically engineered

foods in the United States. "

 

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Kucinich Introduces Bills to Label Genetically Engineered Food and

Protect Consumers

 

Six Bills introduced In The House of Representatives

To Provide A Comprehensive Regulatory Framework

 

Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH), Co-Chair of the Congressional

Progressive Caucus, introduced six bills today that will provide a

comprehensive regulatory framework for all genetically engineered

plants, animals, bacteria, and other organisms.

 

The six bills include the Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act

of 2003, which requires food companies to label all foods that contain

or are produced with genetically engineered materials and instructs the

Food and Drug Administration to conduct periodic tests to ensure

compliance. Also introduced today were the Genetically Engineered Food

Safety Act of 2003, the Genetically Engineered Crop and Animal Framer

Protection Act of 2003, the Genetically Engineered Organism Liability

Act of 2003, the Real Solutions to World Hunger Act of 2003 and the

Genetically Engineered Pharmaceutical and Industrial Crop Safety Act of

2003.

 

" This is a basic consumer safety issue, " stated Kucinich. " People have

a right to know what is in the food they are eating, and that the food

is safe. That is the goal of these bills. It is well past time that

Congress change current food safety and environmental laws because the

laws were not written with this technology in mind. "

 

Combined Kucinich's bills would ensure that consumers are protected,

increase food safety, protect farmers rights, make biotech companies

liable for their products, and help developing nations resolve hunger

concerns.

 

 

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SUMMARY OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOOD LEGISLATION

 

 

H.R. 2916 - THE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOOD RIGHT TO KNOW ACT OF 2003

 

Consumers wish to know whether the food they purchase and consume is a

GE food. Concerns include the potential transfer of allergens into food

and other health risks, potential environmental risks associated with

the genetic engineering of crops, and religiously and ethically based

dietary restrictions. Adoption and implementation of mandatory labeling

requirements for GE food produced in the United States would facilitate

international trade. This bill acknowledges consumers have a right to

know what GE foods they are eating:

 

* Requires food companies to label all foods that contain GE material

and requires the FDA to ensure compliance with testing. Voluntary,

non-GE food labels are also permitted.

* A legal framework is established to ensure the accuracy of labeling

without creating significant economic hardship on the food production

system.

 

Cosponsors: Sanders (VT); DeFazio (OR); Lee (CA); Conyers (MI); Olver

(MA); Miller (CA); Honda (CA); Acevedo-Vila (PR); Brown (OH); Gutierrez

(IL); Nadler (NY); Owens (NY); Velazquez (NY); Waters (CA); Watson (CA);

Woolsey (CA); Kleczka (WI)

 

 

H.R. 2917 - THE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOOD SAFETY ACT OF 2003

 

Given the consensus among the scientific community that genetic

engineering can potentially introduce hazards, such as allergens or

toxins, GE foods need to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The

possibility of such hazards dictates a cautious approach to GE food

approvals. However, FDA has glossed over the food safety concerns of GE

foods. This bill requires that all GE foods follow a strenuous food

safety review process:

 

* Requires FDA to screen all GE foods through the current food additive

process to ensure they are safe for human consumption including a public

comment period of at least 30 days.

* Requires that unique concerns be explicitly examined in the review

process, a phase out of antibiotic resistance markers, and a prohibition

on known allergens.

 

Cosponsors: DeFazio (OR); Sanders (VT); Lee (CA); Conyers (MI); Olver

(MA); Miller (CA); Honda (CA); Acevedo-Vila (PR); Gutierrez (IL); Nadler

(NY); Owens (NY); Velazquez (NY); Waters (CA); Watson (CA); Woolsey (CA)

 

 

H.R. 2918. - THE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED CROP AND ANIMAL FARMER

PROTECTION ACT OF 2003

 

Agribusiness and biotech companies have consolidated market power at the

same time as the average farmer's profits and viability have

significantly declined. Policies promoted by biotech corporations have

systematically acted to remove basic farmer rights. These policies

include unreasonable seed contracts, the intrusion into everyday farm

operations, and liability burdens. This bill provides several farmer

rights and protections to maintain the opportunity to farm:

 

* Farmers may save seeds and seek compensation for failed GE crops.

* Biotech companies may not: shift liability to farmers; nor require

access to farmer's property; nor mandate arbitration; nor mandate court

of jurisdiction; nor require damages beyond actual fees; or charge more

to American farmers than they charge farmers in other nations.

* Seed companies must: ensure seeds labeled non-GE are accurate; provide

clear instructions to reduce cross-pollination; and inform farmers of

the risks of using GE crops.

* EPA is required to take action to prevent resistance to Bt, an

important organic pesticide.

* The bill prohibits genetic engineering designed to produce sterile

seeds.

 

Cosponsors: DeFazio (OR); Sanders (VT); Lee (CA); Conyers (MI); Olver

(MA); Gutierrez (IL); Nadler (NY); Owens (NY); Velazquez (NY); Waters

(CA); Watson (CA); Woolsey (CA); Acevedo-Vila (PR)

 

 

H.R. 2919 - THE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED ORGANISM LIABILITY ACT OF 2003

 

Biotech companies are selling a technology that is being commercialized

far in advance of the new science of genetic engineering. Farmers may

suffer from crop failures. Neighboring farmers may suffer from

cross-pollination, increased insect resistance, and unwanted " volunteer "

GE plants. Therefore, biotech companies should be found liable for the

failures of GE crops:

 

* The bill places all liability from negative impacts of GE organisms

squarely upon the biotechnology companies that created the GE organism.

* Farmers are granted indemnification to protect them from the

liabilities of GE crops.

 

Cosponsors: DeFazio (OR); Sanders (VT); Lee (CA); Conyers (MI); Olver

(MA); Acevedo-Vila (PR); Gutierrez (IL); Nadler (NY); Owens (NY);

Velazquez (NY); Waters (CA); Watson (CA); Woolsey (CA)

 

 

H.R. 2920 - REAL SOLUTIONS TO WORLD HUNGER ACT OF 2003

 

The demand for mandatory labeling, safety testing, and farmer

protections do not constitute obstacles to the cessation of world

hunger. Economics remain the significant barrier to a consistent food

supply, and the development of expensive GE crops may only exacerbate

this trend. However, agroecological interventions have had significantly

more success in helping developing nations feed themselves with higher

yields and improved environmental practices, all within reasonable costs

for developing countries.

 

* To protect developing nations, GE exports are restricted to those

already approved in the U.S. and approved by the importing nation.

* The bill creates an international research fund for sustainable

agriculture research paid for the Sustainable Agriculture Trust Fund, a

small tax on biotechnology company profits.

 

Cosponsors: DeFazio (OR); Sanders (VT); Lee (CA); Conyers (MI); Olver

(MA); Acevedo-Vila (PR); Gutierrez (IL); Nadler (NY); Owens (NY);

Velazquez (NY); Waters (CA); Watson (CA); Woolsey (CA)

 

 

H.R. 2921 - THE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED PHARMACEUTICAL AND INDUSTRIAL

CROP SAFETY ACT OF 2003

 

A pharmaceutical crop or industrial crop is a plant that has been

genetically engineered to produce a medical or industrial product. The

new products are for medical or industrial purposes only and are not

intended for the food supply or released into the environment. However,

experts acknowledge that contamination of our food is inevitable due to

the inherent imprecision of biological and agricultural systems.

Contamination by pharmaceutical crops and industrial crops pose

substantial liability and economic risks to farmers, grain handlers, and

food companies.

 

* The bill places a temporary moratorium on pharmaceutical crops and

industrial crops until all regulations required in this bill are in

effect.

* The bill places a permanent moratorium on pharmaceutical crops and

industrial crops grown in an open-air environment and on pharmaceutical

crops and industrial crops grown in a commonly used food source.

* The USDA shall establish a tracking system to regulate the growing,

handling, transportation, and disposal of all pharmaceutical and

industrial crops to prevent contamination.

* The National Academy of Sciences shall issue a report that explores

alternatives methods to produce pharmaceuticals or industrial chemicals

that do not present the risk of contamination.

 

Cosponsors: DeFazio (OR); Sanders (VT); Lee (CA); Conyers (MI);

Gutierrez (IL); Nadler (NY); Owens (NY); Velazquez (NY); Waters (CA);

Watson (CA); Woolsey (CA)

 

 

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If you would like to comment on this News Update, you can do so at the

forum section of our web site at: http://www.thecampaign.org/forums

 

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