In Sunday-evening surprise, Senate unanimously passes food safety bill

[Babylonsister]

Ha! rethugs apparently couldn't justify blocking this. +1 for us!

In Sunday-evening surprise, Senate unanimously passes food safety bill
By Alexander Bolton - 12/19/10 07:55 PM ET


The Senate unexpectedly approved food safety legislation by unanimous consent Sunday evening, rescuing a bill that floated in limbo for weeks because of a clerical error.

The Senate passed the Food Safety and Modernization Act on Nov. 30 by a vote of 73-25. But the bill was later invalidated by a technical objection because it was a revenue-raising measure that did not originate in the House — Senate staff had failed to substitute the food safety language into a House-originated bill.

A coalition of groups supporting the bill sent a letter Sunday to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) calling for action on food safety.

“Our organizations are writing to support attaching S. 510, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, to the Senate's proposed short-term continuing resolution,” the groups wrote. “Strong food-safety legislation will reduce the risk of contamination and provide FDA with the resources and authorities the agency needs to help make prevention the focus of our food safety strategies.”

snip//

Sen. Tom Coburn, the outspoken conservative Republican from Oklahoma, had been blocking the legislation. He lifted his objection at the final moment.

http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/foo...us-consent

[Cha]

Thank Goodness then! We certainly need regulation to prevent Food Contamination and all the other safety regs that go with it.

Even with this there is always something that goes wrong it seems but we have to try our best to prevent it.

Thanks Babylonsister~

[spazito]

Very good news! And unanimously yet, wow. Thanks for posting this, it is much appreciated.

[Andy823]

Wow, add one more accomplishment to their list. This has been one hell of a lame duck session, and it's not over yet!

[sandnsea]

It also includes the Tester Amendment which protects small, local farmers who sell at Farmers Markets.

His amendment provided several exemptions for local producers - those who sell less than $500,000 a year or deliver within a 275-mile radius of their operation.

http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-reg...002e0.html

[Hekate]

Another piece of good news. That damned Bush and his deregulation gangsters set food and drug safety in the US back a full century. This is really, really good -- but just a start on the road back.
Hekate

[Julie]

This is very good news. Hopefully it undoes some of the harm Team Bush managed to achieve.

Julie

[kahuna]

Thanks for the great news!