Letter to my lawmakers:
I am dismayed to learn that President Obama apparently did nothing to get section 735 of H.R. 933 removed before it was sent to his desk and signed. That provision has been referred to as the Monsanto Protection Act, and is a rider which is unrelated to the bill that it is attached to.
From a petition on the whitehouse.gov site:
"This provision is a ploy to continue to sell genetically engineered (GMO) seeds even after a court of law has found they have been illegally approved by the USDA.
"The judicial review process is an essential element of U.S law and serves as a vital check on any federal agency decision that may negatively impact human health, the environment, or the livelihood of farmers, yet this provision seeks an immunity to such judicial review by preemptively deciding that the industry can set its own rules.
"This provision forces the USDA to immediately approve any permits at the industry's request, putting industry completely in charge by allowing for a 'back door approval' mechanism."
On 5/16/2012, I wrote a blog concluding with, "...[I]t is way past time for regulations and policies to be put into place to protect our health and our food from both unregulated GMOs and Monsanto in particular. Products which are genetically modified must not be allowed on the market without testing. With its equivalence policy, the FDA is subjecting us to essentially unregulated and untested genetically modified food and animal products. Monsanto, a company which now has a 70% share of our food market with its GM products, must be dealt with. Its ruthless and illegal practices must be stopped. At the very least, anti-trust and anti-monopoly legislation should be brought to bear against this morally bankrupt company."
Because of petitions, letter, phone calls, and e-mails to the White House, staffers were surely aware of the issues concerning Monsanto and the environment. I would have thought that the White House would have fought against the "Monsanto Protection Act." But apparently citizens' concerns were once again trumped by Monsanto's lobbyists and campaign contributions, the President's indifference to corruption in Congress, and the revolving door between Monsanto and the FDA with the willing assistance of Mr. Obama.
I am dismayed to learn that President Obama apparently did nothing to get section 735 of H.R. 933 removed before it was sent to his desk and signed. That provision has been referred to as the Monsanto Protection Act, and is a rider which is unrelated to the bill that it is attached to.
From a petition on the whitehouse.gov site:
"This provision is a ploy to continue to sell genetically engineered (GMO) seeds even after a court of law has found they have been illegally approved by the USDA.
"The judicial review process is an essential element of U.S law and serves as a vital check on any federal agency decision that may negatively impact human health, the environment, or the livelihood of farmers, yet this provision seeks an immunity to such judicial review by preemptively deciding that the industry can set its own rules.
"This provision forces the USDA to immediately approve any permits at the industry's request, putting industry completely in charge by allowing for a 'back door approval' mechanism."
On 5/16/2012, I wrote a blog concluding with, "...[I]t is way past time for regulations and policies to be put into place to protect our health and our food from both unregulated GMOs and Monsanto in particular. Products which are genetically modified must not be allowed on the market without testing. With its equivalence policy, the FDA is subjecting us to essentially unregulated and untested genetically modified food and animal products. Monsanto, a company which now has a 70% share of our food market with its GM products, must be dealt with. Its ruthless and illegal practices must be stopped. At the very least, anti-trust and anti-monopoly legislation should be brought to bear against this morally bankrupt company."
Because of petitions, letter, phone calls, and e-mails to the White House, staffers were surely aware of the issues concerning Monsanto and the environment. I would have thought that the White House would have fought against the "Monsanto Protection Act." But apparently citizens' concerns were once again trumped by Monsanto's lobbyists and campaign contributions, the President's indifference to corruption in Congress, and the revolving door between Monsanto and the FDA with the willing assistance of Mr. Obama.
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