Dennis Kucinich in front of an American Flag

From Dennis Kucinich: Stop the Fake GMO Labeling Bill

The US Senate, through the munificent campaign contributions of the chemical and bio-tech industry, has brought forth a new anti-labeling bill aimed at squashing Vermont’s GMO labeling initiative which goes into effect this Friday, July 1, 2016.  

June 27, 2016 | Source: GMO Free PA | by Dennis Kucinich

The US Senate, through the munificent campaign contributions of the chemical and bio-tech industry, has brought forth a new anti-labeling bill aimed at squashing Vermont’s GMO labeling initiative which goes into effect this Friday, July 1, 2016.  
 
I brought the first labeling bill to Congress in 1999.  It is sad to see the grand institution of the US Senate confronted with the realities of what happens when some of its members become indebted to a corporate food industry which has poisoned the environment, ruined the land, depleted water supplies, crushed family farmers and bought the government sufficiently to conceal information about levels of GMO-related glyphosate in our food.
 
Vermont, Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York have prepared or are preparing to respond with GMO labeling legislation which protects consumers’ right to know.  While some major industry players have indicated a willingness to comply, the bulk of the corporate food industry wants to employ the doctrine of “pre-emption” to scuttle any state’s legitimate labeling efforts of food or seed, while applauding a non-existent national standard.  
 
It’s not only pre-emption we must worry about, (legally sketchy in this case) it’s the pre-purchase of Senate votes, further proof of the urgent need for campaign finance reform.
 
           Five Facts About the Senate’s New “Mandatory” GMO Labeling Bill
 
 
1.     It is not a labeling bill.  There is no requirement for labeling in the bill.
2.     It is not mandatory.  All provisions of the bill are OPTIONAL.
3.     There are no penalties for non-compliance, so it is voluntary.
4.     While it is intended to pre-empt Vermont in 2016,  the new (non-labeling, non-mandatory, no penalty, optional bill is not “effective” for at least two years), making such a preemption possibly unconstitutional
5.     It was not the product of an internal “Senate compromise.”  It was written by the GMO and bio-tech industry and greased with campaign contributions to avoid labeling GMO food and seeds.
 
 
If you already belong to the more than 90% of Americans who want food produced with GMOs to be clearly labeled, then call your Senator today at (202) 224-3121 and tell them to vote AGAINST the GMO fake labeling bill.