The Tahoma Activist

"Changing the Media, One Story at a Time"

This website is your Pierce County source for progressive news and opinion. If you want to be a part of The Tahoma Activist, send all submissions here. We will print anything that makes sense and touches on the important issues of the day.

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Congressman Dicks responds regarding the new draconian Food Labeling law

I don't always agreee with Norm, but this letter was very thoughtful, so I thought I'd share it with our readers (all six of them, ha ha):

Dear Mr. Richardson :

Thank you for contacting me to express your opposition to the National Uniformity for Food Act, H.R. 4167. I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to respond.
Like you, I have serious concerns about H.R. 4167 and I voted against it when it came before the House for a vote on March 8 th . Unfortunately, the bill passed by a vote of 283-139. It now goes to the Senate for consideration. While supporters of this legislation claim that it will strengthen food safety protections by creating national standards for food safety and warning labeling, I am afraid that H.R. 4167 will actually create a critical gap in the safety net that protects public health.

Currently, more than 85 state and 3,000 local regulatory agencies, including public health and agriculture departments, license and inspect more than one million retail food establishments (grocery stores, restaurants, nursing homes, etc.) under state laws and regulations to ensure that consumers are protected from unsafe food. H.R. 4167 would undercut a state's ability to implement laws regulating food safety, taking a historically state role and giving it to the federal government. Two hundred state food safety laws and regulations that have been proven effective and necessary would be immediately preempted under H.R. 4167, and t he Congressional Budget Office has estimated that H.R. 4167 would cost taxpayers $100 million over the next few years, with unknown additional costs on the federal government and state and local governments.

While I was disappointed that H.R. 4167 passed in the House, I assure you that I will remain committed to protecting the safety of our food supply and will keep your comments in mind should I have the opportunity to vote on this issue again in the future.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Please feel free to do so on any issue of concern to you.


Categories: Politics - National


StumbleUpon Toolbar

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home