H.R. 875 and S. 425: TWO FOOD BILLS YOU NEED TO KNOW!

This just in from the Gerson Institute: 

We wanted to inform you of two bills in the House of Representatives and the Senate, H.R. 875 and S. 425.  Below is a brief description of each and a link to the full text of the bills.  

 

As a non-profit organization, we cannot lobby for or against legislation or candidates.  However, we can provide information and education.  

 

Critics say that these bills could move quickly and be decided in just a few weeks, and they urge people to contact their representatives immediately.  Because of this, we wanted to send out a special e-bulletin on the topic, so people can be aware of these bills, can contact their representatives or spread the word if they would like to.  Critics also say that these acts could make it illegal to grow our own food-in our backyards, do organic farming and more.  Representative Rosa DeLauro, who introduced H.R. 875, is married to Stanley Greenburg who works for Monsanto.
 
H.R. 875 Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009  

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-875

 

Feb 4, 2009: Referred to House Agriculture

 

To establish the Food Safety Administration within the Department of Health and Human Services to protect the public health by preventing food-borne illness, ensuring the safety of food, improving research on contaminants leading to food-borne illness, and improving security of food from intentional contamination, and for other purposes.
 

S. 425 Food Safety and Tracking Improvement Act

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-425

Feb 12, 2009: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for the establishment of a traceability system for food, to amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspections Act, the Egg Products Inspection Act, and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for improved public health and food safety through enhanced enforcement, and for other purposes.

Below are also links to videos and articles of people opposed to these bills for a variety of reasons, and blogs where different viewpoints are expressed.  

 

http://capwiz.com/grassrootsnetroots/issues/alert/?alertid=12878056

http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=6726
http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=6726

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Goodbye-farmers-markets-C-by-Linn-Cohen-Cole-090303-287.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epXNJNjYBvw
http://www.infowars.com/hr-875-and-the-criminalization-of-the-backyard-gardener/

If you would like to express your opinion on this bill, here is a link to find and contact your congressmen (senators and representatives) by entering your zip code on the top left hand side of the page.www.congress.org/congressorg/home/
 
The House Agricultural Committee has 45 members.  If you would like to contact any or all of them to express your opinion on HR 875, go to this link.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/committee.xpd?id=HSAG 
 
If you are a Gerson patient, you can explain what the effect of this legislation would mean to you personally, how access to organic food is literally a life and death issue for Gerson patients, and what the therapy has done for you and others. 
 

Comments

[Carla Golden]

HR 875 Could Result in Arrest, Imprisonment of CEOs of Processed Food Companies (if enforced)

http://www.naturalnews.com/025887.html

[Vicki]

For clarification: Rosa DeLauro's husband doesn't work for Monsanto. He owns a political research firm and has been a Dem strategist for Bill Clinton etc. Monsanto is reportedly a client as are several other large companies but he does political research.

DeLauro's House Approrpriations Subcommittee on Agriculture is holding a hearing this week on food safety.

[Vicki]

Interestingly, congress.org is one of my company's web sites. It should be helpful for info.

[jonh howards]

i would like to know when is this bill due to be passed
thanks

[Carla Golden]

Here's the latest update:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_17355.cfm