Senators Who Voted Against Bernie Sanders Amendment to Allow States To Require GMO Labels

Senate.gov



The Amendment was a no frills attachment to the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013

Statement of Purpose: To permit States to require that any food, beverage, or other edible product offered for sale have a label on indicating that the food, beverage, or other edible product contains a genetically engineered ingredient.

I'm just posting this in case anyone wanted to know where their Senator stands on this issue. Not so shockingly the government believes the biotech companies when they say that people aren't smart enough to understand what genetically modified foods are and therefor the labels will scare consumers and hurt their business rather than the people who overwhelmingly say that we know exactly what genetically modified foods are and we don't want it... label it and protect the right of the people to choose whether or not to eat GMO.

I love this kind of informative post! Thank you! I'm thrilled both of my Senators voted FOR it. I will write them letters of thanks right away. Thanks, Kali.

reply to post by Kali74

I would like to find out more about their reasoning for voting "no" but on the surface, it would appear that these guys are human garbage.

So this was tacked onto another bill. What did the rest of the bill say? I can't judge a Senator unless I know why he voted against the bill. Congress seems to tack amendments to bills that aren't even related to get bills passed or denied. They need to cut this practice out and vote on simple and individual issues.

It's funny that Stabenow sponsored this bill but then Nayed it? I suppose she didn't like something that was tacked on. Maybe the whole thing was designed to fail because of it's placement?

Went to link and seen who all voted against GMO labeling and found Rand Paul voted against GMO labeling. Are these people just stupid or evil. If you eat something that kills insects, it is poisonous.

reply to post by rickymouse


The vote was specific to the amendment Sanders wanted to attach to the bill, not a vote on the bill itself.

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic


Sadly, I will be asking both of mine WTF. I'm really disappointed in Elizabeth Warren's vote.

Originally posted by Kali74
Sadly, I will be asking both of mine WTF. I'm really disappointed in Elizabeth Warren's vote.

I too, will be posing the same question to both of my senators. Although, based on the B.S. answers they usually provide when I inquire about anything, I don't expect an intelligent response from either of them. I get sick to my stomach every time I even consider the fact that I'm stuck with Ted Cruz for 6 yrs..

Thanks Kali for posting the list and F&S for the OP!

On a side note I have to ask. Do the states really need the permission of the federal government to enact GMO labeling laws? And/or, does the federal government have the right to prohibit GMO labeling legislation at the state level? If so, from what specific article of the Constitution do they draw such authority?

And... Where are all the "State's Rights" activist now?

Originally posted by ohioriver
Went to link and seen who all voted against GMO labeling and found Rand Paul voted against GMO labeling.

So, Rand supports the use of drones against American citizens on American soil (fortunately, Obama's standards are higher) and he's against GMO labelling.

Looks like we've got ourselves a lying, flip-flopping, backsliding corporate shill!

Originally posted by Flatfish
And... Where are all the "State's Rights" activist now?

I was wondering the same thing... Looks like Democrats were split down the center, but the overwhelming majority of Republicans voted against state's rights... Can you say "lip service"?



Source

As regards states deciding to label their own stuff - this all comes down from the FDA. They're the controlling federal agency, so they make the rules for everyone.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic

Originally posted by Flatfish
And... Where are all the "State's Rights" activist now?

I was wondering the same thing... Looks like Democrats were split down the center, but the overwhelming majority of Republicans voted against state's rights... Can you say "lip service"?

Source

As regards states deciding to label their own stuff - this all comes down from the FDA. They're the controlling federal agency, so they make the rules for everyone.

I can see where the FDA has authority with respect to allowing or prohibiting certain ingredients in our food and I can even see where they would have the authority to legislate certain demands with respect to labeling. What I don't understand, is where they would get the authority to prohibit states from instituting some of their own labeling requirements for products sold within their own boundaries.

I really don't see how the states passing GMO labeling statutes could interfere with the FDA doing their job on any level. Unless of course, they consider their job to be that of allowing corporations to conceal the fact that their products contain ingredients that we don't wish to buy or consume.

IMO, it would be like having the federal government mandate that all states allow gambling.

reply to post by Flatfish


Oh, I TOTALLY agree with you. But they're a federal agency and they're protecting their intere$t$.

That's why we have to do all we can to bring this to light, thank those in Congress who are on our side and vote out those who are not. The most important thing we can do is to do our own research and act accordingly. We can take this into our own hands (I already do) if we're willing to do the work.

Nine GMO Ingredients to Avoid

How to Avoid GMO Foods

Is it Possible to Escape GMO Foods at the Grocery Store?

Foods as Nature Made Them

Doing that on a state by state basis would be difficult and expensive. It would be much cheaper to ban GMO foods countrywide or require the whole nations companies to do it. Most people buying seeds to grow their own corn don't even know if they are GMO. It would be so easy for Monsanto to sub out GMO seeds in the packets their corporation sells. I don't trust Monsanto at all.

reply to post by rickymouse


So states like Cali can make laws to add more regulations to gun company's making them use micro stamped firing pins and trying to treat e-cigs like regular cigarettes taxed to hell and back I'm sure. But if a state wants to require labeling of GMOs that's too difficult and expensive for them???? Seriously this must be a joke.

Big business runs america so its hardely any suprise. Anything that affects marketability of foods, especially something that people tend to fear a lot, gets buried. Yes its disappointing though. You would think with so much outcry that congress would at least make the vote count respectable and republicans would be more split on the issue, something like the democrats.

As for Rand Paul he might as well call himself an orwellian liar. He is nothing like his father. He backstabbed his father during last years election, said he was against drones and then changed his mind, and now votes against GMO labeling. He should be ashamed of himself since he tries to portray the hero status. What a dick!!

Just throwing this out there, as I know that there have already been multiple comments against some of the senators who voted against this, Rand Paul being one of them, we should not so easily jump to conclusions here. I have not read the bill or anything, and I might if I have time today (certainly I will if I form a complete opinion on it)...

But here is what I am thinking. If someone would suggest that we should put a label on everything that has gmos, ok maybe our emotions would make us say "let's do it!" So let's take it down a notch and say we force every food that has gluten in it to put a label on it notifying its consumers there is gluten in it... well I am sure there is apprehension on that one... Ok how about this, let's put a label on every food that was handled in a factory where one of the worker's last name was 'Smith'. Then what? No one would want of course!! Truth is, should we really be forcing companies to do anything, ridiculous or not? No! We should be preventing laws being made to regulate business in ways that can't easily be remedied with education. I do not need to know if a company uses GMO's in their food, I need to be able to read and be aware of the products I as a consumer are purchasing. The foods that don't use GMOs already have labels that lets you know that, 9 times out of 10!

Be a smart consumer, don't leave it up to the FDA to make labels.

reply to post by PhysicsAdept


Cigarretes have labels YET people smoke them none-the-less, correct?

Alcohol consumption in excess is bad, YET people consume alcohol.

Weed can be bad, YET people smoke it.

I think GMOs should be labeled and let people decide what they want.

Lots of medication is known to cause side effects YET people take them.

Originally posted by PhysicsAdept
The foods that don't use GMOs already have labels that lets you know that, 9 times out of 10!

I wish I lived on your planet!

reply to post by EarthCitizen07


So then tell me, what good will come out of forcing a company to slap a label on it??

Also I want your opinion, do you know WHY GMOs are bad? A lot of people just get scared by acronyms.

reply to post by PhysicsAdept

Originally posted by PhysicsAdept
So let's take it down a notch and say we force every food that has gluten in it to put a label on it notifying its consumers there is gluten in it... well I am sure there is apprehension on that one... Ok how about this, let's put a label on every food that was handled in a factory where one of the worker's last name was 'Smith'.

8 Reasons GMOs are Bad for You

I would LOVE it if everything that had gluten in it were labeled. It makes me SICK.

Someone named Smith has no affect on a consumers health.