Despite the efforts of House members like Rep Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) to kill the Monsanto Protection Rider, it passed in the House version of the short-term appropriations bill, the Continuing Resolution (CR). Today the Senate was successful in stripping this provision out of the CR. According to Sen Brian Schatz (D-HI) "The Monsanto Protection Act is bad policy for the country and the State of Hawai‘i. The Senate version of the Continuing Resolution does not include this provision, effectively repealing the Monsanto Protection Act. This provision took the ability of the Secretary of Agriculture to fully exercise his regulatory power over GMOs, and compromised the role of our courts as a check on the legislative and executive systems, making it significantly more difficult for concerned citizens to present their case. I strongly urge the House not to sneak the Monsanto Protection Act back into the final version of the appropriations bill. However, if it is slipped back in, rather than letting the issue be deliberated with full transparency and public input, I will immediately introduce legislation to repeal it." Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), a farmer himself said: Stripping the Monsanto Protection Act is a victory for American consumers and family farm agriculture. Corporate giveaways have no business in a bill to fund the government, and I’m pleased that the Senate stood up for accountability and transparency and against special interests. I look forward to continuing to work with Senator Schatz to make sure that this damaging provision never again makes it into law."
Posted on: Wed, 25 Sep 2013 20:08:40 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015