H.R. 4167 Passes

Three days ago I urged we take action to tell our representatives to vote no to H.R. 4167, the so-called " National Uniformity for Food Act of 2005." This legislation wants to remove the various food labeling rules that states have put in place, and replace it with.....nothing. There IS no uniformity of labeling for food safety standards. That's exactly the problem. So states, most notably California, have stepped in to pick up the slack and make food and beverages safer for consumers.

Well, here's the Rest of the Story: Last night, in a victory for the food industry, despite the efforts of public-health organizations, environmental groups and activists, the House of Representatives passed HR 4167, the National Uniformity for Food Act of 2005, by a vote of 283 to 139.. The bill will next go to the Senate for consideration and voting. If the measure wins Senate approval and is signed by George Bush, it will in effect nullify any local or state food-safety law that is more stringent than federal regulations. The bill was rushed through the House without the usual hearings and testimonies both for and against it. The San Francisco Chronicle has all the sordid details: House votes to dump state food safety laws.

It's time to start letting our senators know our opposition to this legislation right now; so the food industry is not the only voice whispering in their ears.

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