“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.”
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!
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.
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
>> Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D–NV) is reportedly pursuing a vote this week on a massive expansion of food regulation.
Thanks Nevada.
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...
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.
Sounds like the perfect gubment program to me.
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
Ok, here’s the deal - the FDA is a totally corrupted US Gov agency. Why would we grant these freaks even more POWER????
I think this bill includes NAIS (Nat’l Animal ID System). Every animal (chickens too) to get tagged. A year ago there were lots of articles from Mid-Western farmers about this — and the problems.
Includes all seeds (what about all the Heritage seeds people have?). Seeds from Monsanto & other giant companies only.
For some crops (flax?) farmers routinely get their own seeds but that would be disallowed by excessive rules and equipment needed to do it.
From EU/Aussies where some of the UN rules have been imposed are descriptions of all vegetation being stripped from streams near agri-industrial fields for “food safety.” Keeps wild animals and birds out. (So much for the efficacy of “bio-diversity” keeping the stream clean naturally.)
Back yard gardens are potentially subject to registration requiring the grower to record seeds, soil, fertilizer, storage and pay for inspections. Sharing of food prohibited. It is possible that organic produce would be disallowed.
Something never mentioned in this regard is how the case about the wheat grower (in the 30’s) was regulated by interstate commerce clause when he grew the wheat for his own use. (Regulation imposed because by growing his own wheat he was not buying from anyone else and therefore his actions were affecting interstate commerce.)
All I can think of when I read this bill is Russia and the Kulaks. You are not allowed to take care of yourself.
Also reminds of something read written during English Civil War that goes something like: what good is freedom if you have no land to sustain yourself.
This has to be stopped. It could be as destructive as ObamaCare.
where...
the bill grants the FDA unilateral authority to order recalls
Toll-Free number to the Congressional Switchboard
(866) 338-1015
When you write or call, don't bother trying to teach them about the Constitution. Most of them know what they are doing and simply don't care. Instead, tell them to oppose this bill or else - and that means you will mark them for defeat in the next primary. Tell them they shouldn't even worry about the next general election because you will see to it that they won't even get past the primary because you will do what the Tea Party just did to some sell-out Senators during the recent primary - you will support some fresh-faced constitutionalists the Senator has likely never heard of, and you and thousands of other constitutionalists in your state will do all you can to see that the sitting Senator is sent packing in the primary. And tell them if they vote for this bill, you don't even care whether that challenger is even likely to win in the general election. All you will care about is kicking them out.
There are many orgs who have written analysis of this bill and why it is so dangerous to local farmers, food co-ops, small organic growers, and farmers markets. See the below write up by Natural News for details.
And here is the John Birch Society write up here:
All of those write ups make good points, but I think the best reason to oppose this act is that it claims the power to regulate the growing and selling of food that doesn't even cross state lines. Just what does that have to do with interstate commerce? Nothing. No more than a gun made in Montana, and sold in Montana, has anything to do with interstate commerce. We should oppose this on constitutional grounds alone.
But add to that the already documented abuse of faceless, nameless bureaucrats from DC, who lord it over local farmers who have utterly no redress, and then factor in the FACT that the huge corporate food producers are behind this bill and donate millions of dollars to the Senators who are pushing it.
The Founders, especially Jefferson, intended that American farmers be sovereigns on their own land, in sovereign states, and not subject to the control of a distant Congress or massive government agency which that farmer had no real control over. That is why we are supposed to have a dual sovereignty system, where the states retain the power to regulate the daily affairs of the people, not the national government. As Madison said in the Federalist Papers:
The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government, are few and defined.Those which are to remain in the State Governments are numerous and indefinite.The former will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce ...The powers reserved to the several States will extend to all the objects, which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberty, and property of the people; and the internal order, improvement and prosperity of the State. - James Madison, Federalist 45
You, your neighbors, and local farmers shouldn't even have to worry about what some pencil-neck paper-pusher in DC thinks of you or your produce. At most, that is the business of your county and state, not the feds, just as Madison promised.
Let's make it so. The first step is to defeat this bill, but whatever the outcome in the Senate, we need to use the power of our county sheriffs and our state legislatures to interpose themselves between the people and unconstitutional acts by the DC elites. First stop, kill it in the Senate. Next stop, nullify it in the states.
(NaturalNews) U.S. Senate Bill S 510 is now on the Senate floor where a vote is expected shortly. Yesterday, the Motion to Invoke Cloture passed on a vote of 74-25 (see how they voted, below), sending the bill forward for a final vote perhaps as early as today..See how they voted
US Senate offices are experiencing a huge backlash of grassroots opposition to the bill -- called the Food Safety Modernization Act -- as virtually every health freedom organization, family farm group and even dietary supplement companies have aligned to oppose this new bill.
Senate Bill 510 is being called "The most dangerous bill in United States history" and would thrust America into a new Dark Ages of FDA tyranny over seeds, foods, herbs, gardens and nutritional supplements. Click Here to Read Article in Natural News)
"The greatest threat to Communism is the Farmer." ~Anonymus
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