GMO Legislation Goes To President

I'm Susan Allen, more than More than 1,000 agriculture, food and business organizations and companies representing the entire food supply value chain had announced their strong support for the bipartisan food disclosure legislation passed by the Senate. Now they can celebrate, the House approved biotechnology legislation on Thursday. Our own Representative from Washington State, Dan Newhouse (R) spoke on the floor in favor of the legislation S. 764:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to offer my support for S. 764, the Senate-passed biotechnology labeling legislation that we are considering today. Without enactment of this legislation today, right now, we will continue to see the emergence of an incompatible patchwork of state laws, like the one that took effect in Vermont just two weeks ago. As a farmer myself, I can tell you with some authority that if these state laws – with their conflicting definitions and labeling requirements – are allowed to take effect, it will increase the cost of production and compliance for farmers as well as food producers. This in turn will drive up grocery bills for American families by hundreds, even thousands of dollars. That, Mr. Speaker, I believe unacceptable and unconscionable of an outcome to inflict on the American people.

The White House confirmed that President Obama will sign the GMO disclosure bill that that received final congressional approval from the House on Thursday.