I’m writing to tell you that I strongly oppose the Roberts-Stabenow compromise language on the GMO labeling bill.
I ask that YOU also oppose it. This legislation would overrule Vermont’s consumer-friendly GMO labeling law, and prevent states from passing similar laws, and would create a confusing, misleading and unenforceable national standard for labeling GMOs.
Instead of a uniform labeling standard like Vermont’s law, the language allows text, symbols, or an electronic code to be used. This is intentionally confusing to consumers, and the information may be entirely inaccessible if the consumer does not have access to the internet.
Perhaps most shockingly, this bill imposes no penalties whatsoever for violating the labeling requirement, making the law essentially meaningless. Thus, this is a weak bill, full of loopholes, without any requirement to comply.
A law is meaningless and harmful if there are no penalties for not adhering to its requirements.
Are our Senators and Representatives so weak, that they are willing to have themselves and their families and children and friends eat food that may not be safe, in order to submit to the BIG CORPORATION LOBBYISTS?
The overwhelming majority of Americans favor GMO labeling. People have a right to know what is in the food they eat. The Senate shouldn’t stop states from passing laws that let that happen. Please oppose the Roberts-Stabenow GMO labeling bill.
HERE AGAIN, WE HAVE LAWS PASSED WITHOUT REPRESENTATION OF THE MAJORITY. Remember the Boston Tea Party? Why did the patriots dump the tea into Boston Harbor? Because we were being taxed without representation in Britain.
The Congress passes too many bills into law without the majority of the citizens’ desires in mind. The seats that Congress occupies on Capitol Hill can be filled with other individuals who are more willing to vote in favor of what the citizenry wishes.
This is a time of political upheaval. More voters will be voting in this upcoming presidential and congressional election than in any other election. There are a greater number of registered voters who have left the two major parties or registered Independent or are just totally confused as to which candidate for whom to vote.
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Sunshinebright 
Thanks for the info. I have read the bill on line and , as in any bill, the language is somewhat convoluted. And technical.
Click to access Mandatory%20Labeling%20Bill.pdf
I agree that it seems to prevent states from making their own laws regarding GMO food labeling. At least as far as interstate commerce is concerned,
I do think it is a good idea to have one national standard, however. So that some states cannot avoid labeling at all. Which is the case today.
Regarding penalties. The only penalty I saw in the bill is the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture to recall foods if they are improperly labeled. I guess a recall would be pretty devastating to a food producer.
The entire quality and enforcement of the GMO labeling seems to rest with the Sec of Agriculture. He or she would determine whether or not the electronic system was feasible. Which means it rests with the person the next POTUS chooses to appoint.
All in all I see it as a small step in the right direction. Not sure I would oppose for the simple reason that without it we have nothing at the federal level. Kind of like the ACA. Not great, but a step.
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Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear in my letter to Senators. I thought Vermont’s bill was very good, and should be used as an example of a viable bill as far as consumers are concerned. The national bill, as proposed, was the problem, IMHO.
Thanks so much for your input!
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Also, I don’t consider a recall a penalty.
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We definitely need to know what is in the food we eat and we also need to know where the food we buy is coming from. I understand the government is on some kind of kick to remove origins of our foodstuffs from labels so we might never know where the stuff we are eating comes from originally. I think that is a frightening prospect because I personally do not care to be eating certain seafood products I know are processed in water containing human sewage in some Asian places that raise their fish for sale in such stuff. This is only one example. There are many others. We need to know everything we can about the food we buy but the government seems to think otherwise.
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