Congress to Make All GMO Labelling Illegal in The U.S. – Take Action!

Posted by: Steven Peters in FDA, GMO Labeling, Monsanto April 29, 2014

By Food Democracy Now! – Vermont just passed the 1st GMO labeling bill with no strings attached – Don’t let Monsanto and the Big Food kill GMO labeling – Take Action Now!

Last week something historic happened in Vermont. In an incredible move, the Vermont Legislature passed the first in the nation “no strings attached” GMO labeling bill. This means that Vermonters will have GMO labels appearing on their shelf as early as July 1^st, 2016, when H.112 goes into effect. And the great news is that Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin has indicated that he will sign the bill into law!

Unfortunately, right now in Washington DC, there are serious efforts in Congress and the FDA to kill GMO labeling in the U.S. for good.

At Food Democracy Now!, we’ve been warning you about this for more than a year. The more success that we have as a movement in our fight to label genetically engineered foods, the more that Monsanto and the food manufacturers will strike back with devious ways to undermine our most basic democratic rights.

Last year, when no one was looking, Congress passed the Monsanto Protection Act, now Representative Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.), a darling of the Koch brothers, has introduced a bill in DC that will kill any effort to win mandatory GMO labeling here in the U.S. This is outrageous and must be stopped!

Tell Congress and the FDA it’s time to pass a strong mandatory GMO labeling bill in the U.S. to protect consumers and uphold our basic democratic rights. Every voice counts!

Is congress for sale at any price?

Earlier this month, Monsanto and the Grocery Manufacturers Association finally found somebody to carry their dirty water to kill GMO labeling in Congress. Now, the dirtiest names in the chemical and junk food industries have now joined forces with the Koch brothers’ favorite Congressman, Mike Pompeo of Kansas, who has introduced a bill that would make it illegal for states to pass mandatory GMO labeling bills! Instead, Pompeo’s bill calls for “voluntary” labeling standards that would prevent the FDA from ever requiring real GMO labeling.

Even worse, this deceptive new bill would codify the FDA’s current failed voluntary labeling system, which NO company has “volunteered” to comply with in 13 years, and allow foods labeled as “natural” to contain genetically engineered ingredients.

Already, Pompeo’s bill has found several Democrats to support its deceptive claims, including Reps. G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina and Jim Matheson of Utah, who have signed on as co-sponsors, joining Republican Reps. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Ed Whitfield of Kentucky.

Tragically, just as the GMO labeling movement is on the verge of succeeding here in America, Monsanto and the GMA are working harder than ever to kill any chance of real reforms. Don’t let them get away with it!

Tell Congress and FDA: Don’t betray the American public on GMO labeling. Demand mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods and don’t let Congress destroy our only hope of protecting our families, our farms and our food from untested and unlabeled GMO food. Every voice counts.

Without mandatory labeling of GMO foods, consumers are being left in the dark about the foods we are purchasing and feeding our families. In 2013 alone, over 50 GMO labeling bills were introduced in 26 states, including Pennsylvania, Washington, Minnesota, Illinois, and New Hampshire and incredibly, with your help, GMO labeling bills were passed last year in Connecticut and Maine, but neither of these bills go into effect until 4 other states pass them – so we still have our work cut out for us.

Now, Monsanto and the junk food companies at the GMA are desperate to peddle the same illusions regarding GMOs and labeling as they have for the past 22 years.

FDA Commissioner Hamburg Says “No Need” for GMO Labeling and GMOs are Perfectly Safe?

Just last month, FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg testified in front of the House Appropriations Committee telling House members that the Obama Food and Drug Administration intended to finalize “voluntary” standard exactly like Monsanto, the GMA and now the Koch brothers’ Representative Pompeo are calling for.

FDA Commissioner Hamburg stated before Congress that “it’s unnecessary to labels for foods that contain genetically engineered ingredients”. Hamburg even went so far as to claim that the FDA has “not seen evidence of safety risks associated with genetically modified foods”.

If you thought there were adults taking care of our food supply and looking out for the best interests of the American people – think again. Not sure what they’re feeding folks in the FDA cafeteria, but it’s time to make sure that we have strong mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods in the United States.

Please stand with us to help stop Monsanto and Big Food companies from corrupting our laws and democratic process. Every voice counts!

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/sign/stop_Monsanto_and_Big_Foods_secret_plan_to_kill_GMO_labeling/?t=11&akid=1207.469877.ge6xQt

After all the hard work that our friends in Vermont have accomplished, it’s time to take a stand. At Food Democracy Now! we want to thank our allies and champions in Vermont, including NOFA Vermont, Cedar Circle Farm, Vermont PIRG, Rural Vermont, Organic Consumers Association, Mercola.com, Center for Food Safety, Dr. Bronners with a special shout out to organic farmer Senator David Zuckerman, Rep. Teo Zagar and Gov. Peter Schumlin for standing strong and making GMO labeling a reality – let’s take it to the next level in ALL 50 states!

Tell Congress and the FDA to stop any efforts to undermine states’ rights to label GMOs