New FDA Powers: The Wrong Remedy for a Phony Crisis (Food Bill)

heritage foundation ^ | November 17, 2010 | Diane Katz

[cornelis]

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D–NV) is reportedly pursuing a vote this week on a massive expansion of food regulation. Proponents—Democrats and Republicans alike—contend that the very security of America’s food supply is at stake. But rhetoric aside, the nation’s food supply has never been safer, thanks largely to technological advances and market forces. Consequently, granting vast new powers to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would raise the cost of food but would not increase consumer protection.

[cornelis]

“Spanning some150 pages, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act would authorize the FDA to dictate how farmers grow fruits and vegetables, including rules governing soil, water, hygiene, packing, temperatures, and even what animals may roam which fields and when. It would also increase inspections of food “facilities” and tax them to do so. And, fulfilling the dream of a long line of agency officials, the bill grants the FDA unilateral authority to order recalls.”

[cornelis]

Read the Bill

[KoRn]

Virtually everything I’ve read about this is VERY BAD!!!

It’s like “Healthcare Reform” for the food supply/small farmers. This is probably worse. Many can choose to not go to a doctor, or pay for themselves when it comes to healthcare, but EVERYONE has to eat!

[Cicero]

The article doesn’t name names, except for Dingell. But any Republican who votes for this monstrosity needs to be thrown out of office.

And in the meantime, it’s about time the leadership removed such traitors from all committee assignments.

[Loud Mime]

They tried this a few years ago; this president won’t veto it should it come to his desk.

[paul51]

just what our food producers need...gov’t bureaucrats telling them how to do it.

[bigheadfred]

This is GREAT! Sounds like the FDA is gonna need more people. And I need a job. I know all about the 3 major food groups.

Beer

Pizza

Chocolate

[Gene Eric]

>> Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D–NV) is reportedly pursuing a vote this week on a massive expansion of food regulation.

Thanks Nevada.

[cornelis]

Here's the list that helped it pass committee:
Yea TN Alexander, Lamar [R]
Yea WY Barrasso, John [R]
Yea MA Brown, Scott [R]
Yea NC Burr, Richard [R]
Yea ME Collins, Susan [R]
Yea TN Corker, Bob [R]
Yea WY Enzi, Michael [R]
Yea IA Grassley, Charles [R]
Yea NH Gregg, Judd [R]
Yea NE Johanns, Mike [R]
Yea FL LeMieux, George [R]
Yea IN Lugar, Richard [R]
Yea ME Snowe, Olympia [R]
Yea SD Thune, John [R]
Yea LA Vitter, David [R]
Yea OH Voinovich, George [R]
From this thread

[khnyny]

I haven't read the Bill. That being said, I would be very suspect of anything this Gov would do in the shadows between now and January....

Big corps like ADM and Monsanto are chomping at the bit to control the American breadbasket - as well as all of America's enemies. The corp’s see an opportunity for $$ and control. There are also countries that cannot feed themselves and would like to help themselves to our largess via bribes and, well, whatever. Bottom line - traditional family American farmers lose as well as the American people. Let's take a closer look at this Bill...

[The Comedian]

Fair warning:

Any government agent who approaches me with the intent of interfering with my right to garden, save seeds, or any related activity, will be met with deadly force.

This is my line in the sand.

Enough.

Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

[Battle Axe]

If I understand it correctly it will take away the freedom to save your own seeds. GB did this many years ago.

[Drill Thrawl]

granting vast new powers to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would raise the cost of food but would not increase consumer protection.

Sounds like the perfect gubment program to me.

[paul51]

i’m just tired of an ever intrusive gov’t deciding they can tell us what to do, when to do it and where to do it. They will never be satisfied until they are inside every oracle of the body and determining every single aspect of our life. I'm even more disgusted with people that keep allowing this to continue as though it were perfectly fine. Personally, I'd prefer complete anarchy. I'd like to see the gov’t completely shut down and people forced to think for them selves and take care of themselves.

[Uncle Ike]

What I find interesting is the ‘very-strange-bedfellows’ alliance between us and some of the left-leaning “natural foods” groups in opposition to, and horror at, this bill....

The long thread on this subject this morning was based on an “American Thinker” article which quoted extensively, if not exclusively, from Lib sources.... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2628426/posts

[Carry_Okie]

The article doesn’t name names, except for Dingell. But any Republican who votes for this monstrosity needs to be thrown out of office.

Here's your hit list:

Alexander - TN
Barrasso - WY
Brown - MA
Burr - NC
Collins - ME
Corker - TN
Enzi - WY
Grassley - IA
Gregg - NH
Johanns - NE
LeMieux - FL
Luger - IN
Snowe - ME
Vitter - LA
Thune - SD
Voinovich - OH

It's not like you weren't warned.

[tbw2]

How did England do that?

[khnyny]

Ok, here’s the deal - the FDA is a totally corrupted US Gov agency. Why would we grant these freaks even more POWER????

[Battle Axe]

They passed a law saying that only certain companies had the right to cross seeds, this making all seeds hybrids which will not produce usable offspring.

Places like Seed Savers Exchange would go under or be totally regulated. The govt. does not want you to be able to raise your own food. They want a nanny state where you are dependent on the gubbmt for every mouthful.