Congressman Cynthia Lummis Responds to My Letter on HR 2749
Filed Under: Green Politics on August 8, 2009
I sent a short note to Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), who is my “at large” Congress-critter in Washington. She responded with an email letter Friday afternoon:
Dear Aaron:
Thank you for contacting me regarding the safety of our nation’s food supply. As the first Representative from Wyoming to sit on the House Agriculture Committee since 1941, I have an excellent platform to advocate for reforms to our food safety and inspection systems.
Some health officials estimate that millions of Americans become sick, and thousands die from food-related illnesses each year, though much of that illness is due to poor food preparation on the part of the consumer. Still, we were all horrified to watch the recent salmonella outbreak in peanuts from what appeared to be gross negligence on the part of a Georgia peanut plant. These issues require careful attention by consumers, industry, and government.
While government should play a role in ensuring the safety of our food supply by helping to prevent the unlawful actions of a few; government has its faults and ill-advised intervention on its part can have devastating effects on producers. For example, the federal government nearly destroyed the U.S. tomato industry when it erroneously blamed an e coli outbreak on tomatoes before realizing that the real culprit was jalapeños imported from Mexico. In the past few years there have been dozens of food safety and inspection bills introduced by Members of Congress, each with a different idea on how best to reform our inspection system. Any changes to federal food safety policies – whether they involve a consolidation of agencies or an overhaul of the inspection system under the Food and Drug Administration or the Food Safety and Inspection Service – must be science-based, sensible, and have the cooperation of industry and agricultural producers large and small.
The House recently passed H.R. 2749, the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009. While this bill, which was introduced by Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) purports to be a food safety bill, in fact it will actually result in no discernible increase in food safety. Without adding any additional inspections, H.R. 2749 merely adds layer upon layer of new government bureaucracies and record keeping requirements, and pays for it with a massive tax increase on the nation’s food processing industry. The bill also does not include a means to compensate producers if the government mistakenly blames a commodity for a food borne illness.
I also understand the concern of some food safety advocates about the use of antibiotics in livestock production. H.R. 2749 has no provisions dealing with animal antibiotics. While it is possible that antibiotic resistant bacteria in humans could develop as a result of their use in animals, studies have shown that it is highly improbable. The United States Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, the veterinary community, and producers have put in place several human health protections during the past decade to reduce any risks associated with antibiotic use in animals.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me. I value your input. Please do not hesitate to contact me again at any time.
Sincerely,
Cynthia M. Lummis
Member of Congress
Related posts:
- If HR 2749 Passes the Senate, Small Farms Will Die
- FDA Seeks Power to Dictate Farming Practices Nationally
- The End of Food as We Know It
