WOW! - House May Block Food Safety Bill Over Senate Error

[FrankRep]

House May Block Food Safety Bill Over Senate Error (http://www.rollcall.com/news/-201012-1.html)

Roll Call
Nov 30, 2010

A food safety bill that has burned up precious days of the Senate’s lame-duck session appears headed back to the chamber because Democrats violated a constitutional provision requiring that tax provisions originate in the House.

By pre-empting the House’s tax-writing authority, Senate Democrats appear to have touched off a power struggle with members of their own party in the House. The Senate passed the bill Tuesday, sending it to the House, but House Democrats are expected to use a procedure known as “blue slipping” to block the bill, according to House and Senate GOP aides.

The debacle could prove to be a major embarrassment for Senate Democrats, who sought Tuesday to make the relatively unknown bill a major political issue by sending out numerous news releases trumpeting its passage.
...


SOURCE:
http://www.rollcall.com/news/-201012-1.html

[FrankRep]

More time to hammer the House and Senate!!


Contact Senate - Click here!
http://www.votervoice.net/Groups/JBS/Advocacy/?IssueID=22734&SiteID=-1



The Senate will likely vote on S. 510, the Food Safety Modernization Act, in September which would greatly increase FDA regulation over small farms, ranches, and other small food producers, and could lead to greater regulation of dietary supplements as the U.S. moves towards compliance with the global Codex Alimentarius.


Continue to Oppose Food Safety Legislation (http://www.jbs.org/component/content/article/1009-commentary/6455-continue-to-oppose-food-safety-legislation)


Ann Shibler | John Birch Society (http://www.jbs.org/)
25 August 2010


It happened just in time, the salmonella egg outbreak and recall, that is. Remarkably so, in fact, to help boost the chances of Senate Bill 510's passing. The Food Safety Modernization Act, whose companion bill H.R. 2749 already passed in the House, was facing quite the uphill battle. But not any more; a vote is now highly likely with approval possible if not probable.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has said there could be as many as 1,300 salmonella-related illnesses (http://finance.yahoo.com/news/No-evidence-that-tainted-eggs-apf-380640816.html?x=0) linked to the eggs. And that there could be 30 or more unreported cases for every reported case. So far there have actually been 1,953 illnesses reported from May 1 to July 31 of this year with the CDC admitting (http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/enteritidis/) “some of these cases may not be related to this outbreak.” CNN has an interesting state-by-state listing (http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/08/24/eggs.recall.salmonella.state/) of reported, suspected, and confirmed cases. It seems then, that labeling 1,953 food-borne illnesses in a three month period in a nation of over 300 million an “outbreak” is a bit of an over-reaction

Nonetheless, the hue and cry from the food agency regulators of the Obama Administration is deafening. Most call for an expansion of federal authority in order to prevent any more food-related illnesses, something that is quite impossible, given our imperfect planetary conditions.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and the chairman of the panel’s investigations subcommittee Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), directed letters to the owner of one of the egg farms. According to Congressional Quarterly, a request was made for “inspection records, lists of customers who bought products within the last 12 months, communications with federal and state regulators, the companies’ procedures for monitoring eggs for food pathogens and any documentation of allegations of health, safety and animal cruelty violations,” begging the question “is it the proper role of the federal government or congressmen to demand such information?”

Senate Bill 510 has already passed committee and is on the Senate calendar. It calls for enhanced expansion of FDA authority over small farms, ranches, and other food producers, establishes burdensome administrative requirements for large and small operations, and arbitrary legal authority to recall “unsafe medications,” the definition of which is not clearly established; if in line with the global standard set by Codex Alimentarius, “unsafe medications” could extend to dietary supplements and herbal products. There is language that currently exempts from heavy regulation dietary supplement manufacturers and packagers. However, the FDA and its agents are notorious for interpreting and enforcing these regulations in their own way.

A Manager’s Amendment has been proposed that would make technical changes in the definition for “adulterated food,” and the creation of a small entity compliance policy guide that would exempt small businesses from some of the bill’s requirements — for now. Sen. Feinstein’s (D-Calif.) restriction on the use of bisphenol A (BPA) in plastic containers may also be offered as an amendment, while another is the foreign country prescription drug re-importation amendment.

The inclusion of BPA restrictive legislation and the prescription drug re-importation is not enough to offset the unconstitutional directives contained in the bill. Having the federal government assume entire control over this country’s food supply won’t solve anything and won’t prevent all food-borne illnesses, but it is a usurpation of the states’ right to set and oversee standards for food safety.

The citizens of this country who are already financially overburdened with the government's wild spending policies resulting in a ridiculous deficit and gargantuan national debt cannot afford this increase in monetary costs and bureacuracy, and loss of freedom, by the federal government expanding its reach further into the country's food supply and personal buying and eating choices.

If you believe food safety is best achieved at the local level, contact your senators and continue to express your opposition to such plans. (http://www.votervoice.net/Groups/JBS/Advocacy/?IssueID=22734&SiteID=-1) Have them do everything in their power to defeat S. 510.


SOURCE:
http://www.jbs.org/component/content/article/1009-commentary/6455-continue-to-oppose-food-safety-legislation

[Lucille]

Thank God for their incompetence!

[cswake]

Who cares? The Constitution is just a piece of paper, and besides, it's an antiquated rule from a barbaric era.

[nate895]

This proves it: They don't even read the Constitution, let alone follow it. I learned this in Schoolhouse Rock for Pete's sake.

[FrankRep]

This proves it: They don't even read the Constitution, let alone follow it. I learned this in Schoolhouse Rock for Pete's sake.
The Dems also screwed themselves by violating the rules.

[puppetmaster]

they have to take out the small farm exemption

[jclay2]

Gosh, you would think with all the corporate welfare we give these lobbyist, they could at least write a bill that could get passed unnoticed. - H. Reid

[sailingaway]

They did that with TARP too, but let it pass.

And if they take out the small farm exemption, it won't need to go to the House again, it already passed there without it. And if it doesn't have that exemption it is even worse than it is now.

[specsaregood]

They did that with TARP too, but let it pass.



You sure? Usually what they do is tack it onto some unrelated non-controversial bill that the house already passed -- thus not "originating" the bill. Then send it back to the house for a revote. I thought that was what they did with tarp.

[RCA]

This proves it: They don't even read the Constitution, let alone follow it. I learned this in Schoolhouse Rock for Pete's sake.

explain the movie reference...puhleez

[dannno]

they have to take out the small farm exemption

Ya this part needs to be watched closely.

[Bruno]

They did that with TARP too, but let it pass.

And if they take out the small farm exemption, it won't need to go to the House again, it already passed there without it. And if it doesn't have that exemption it is even worse than it is now.

That sounds familar, I agree. If it wasn't TARP, it was another Bill. I could be thinking of the Healthcare Bill whre the Senate decided they didn't need to send it back to the House after changes.

[Bruno]

explain the movie reference...puhleez

Enjoy. :) And watch the related videos, they are awesome and many of us grew up on them.

YouTube - Schoolhouse Rock- How a Bill Becomes a Law (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEJL2Uuv-oQ)

[Anti Federalist]

Enjoy. :) And watch the related videos, they are awesome and many of us grew up on them.

YouTube - Schoolhouse Rock- How a Bill Becomes a Law (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEJL2Uuv-oQ)

LolZ, my fav:

YouTube - Conjunction Junction (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkO87mkgcNo)

[TCE]

You sure? Usually what they do is tack it onto some unrelated non-controversial bill that the house already passed -- thus not "originating" the bill. Then send it back to the house for a revote. I thought that was what they did with tarp.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-1424

It originated in the House, but the amendment that included several tax breaks and tax increases came from the Senate, so it is Constitutionally dubious, since I doubt the founders meant for the House to write a random bill, the Senate place all of these new taxes in, and then the House vote on it again, as was the case with The Dodd Amendment (http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-1424&tab=votes). However, technically, it originated in the House.

[Bruno]

LolZ, my fav:

One of mine, too. :)

Say, "Conjunction Junction, what's your function?" to anyone over 35-50 and they will likely sing the next line.

[angelatc]

One of mine, too. :)

Say, "Conjunction Junction, what's your function?" to anyone over 35-50 and they will likely sing the next line.

Hooking up words and phrases and clauses.

[Anti Federalist]

One of mine, too. :)

Say, "Conjunction Junction, what's your function?" to anyone over 35-50 and they will likely sing the next line.


Hooking up words and phrases and clauses.

Public School House Rock

YouTube - Dysfunction Junction (Mad TV) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQgMXOW0FLU&feature=related)

[Anti Federalist]

There's a really funny Simpsons version of this called:

An Amendment to Be.

It's part of the episode The Day The Violence Died

At the end of it Bart asks, "What the hell is this?"

Lisa answers, "Ah, it's a campy throwback to the 70s that appeals to Gen Xers."

Bart replies: "Yeah, well, we need another Vietnam to thin out their ranks a little bit."

Classic John Schwartzwelder gag.

This one isn't bad tho'.

YouTube - Family Guy's I'm just a bill song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf2q66G3lmM)

[nate895]

LolZ, my fav:

YouTube - Conjunction Junction (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkO87mkgcNo)

That's my favorite too:). I'm only 18, but my mom got me a collection of the best ones when I was a little kid.

[RCA]

Enjoy. :) And watch the related videos, they are awesome and many of us grew up on them.

YouTube - Schoolhouse Rock- How a Bill Becomes a Law (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEJL2Uuv-oQ)

that was fun, thanks!

[sailingaway]

I understand all 42 of the Senate GOP have signed a petition that they will vote against cloture for everything until the Bush tax cuts and a funding bill for government are passed.

So if the Senate needs to act on this again....

It may just have to wait.

[specsaregood]

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-1424

It originated in the House, but the amendment that included several tax breaks and tax increases came from the Senate, so it is Constitutionally dubious, since I doubt the founders meant for the House to write a random bill, the Senate place all of these new taxes in, and then the House vote on it again, as was the case with The Dodd Amendment (http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-1424&tab=votes). However, technically, it originated in the House.

Exactly.
The tarp bill originally passed the house as "the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008". it was then changed into "tarp" in the senate. Thus circumventing the bills originating in the house rule.