Tommy
Well-known member
Congress Delays COOL Behind Closed Doors Again
WASHINGTON (October 27, 2005) – A key Congressional conference committee adopted an additional two year delay of the implementation of mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) for all products except seafood. A majority of the conferees have signed off on the House and Senate report, setting up a final passage vote in both houses in the near future.
The delay is a repeat of history, when the same action occurred in 2003. On both of these occasions there was no public debate or vote, and the decision was made behind closed doors.
"It is a travesty that U.S. producers and consumers' interests are losing out to pressure from the retailers, packers and processors, who all have aggressively fought this law since its inception," NFU President Dave Frederickson said.
"Once again a deal has been struck behind closed doors by the majority leadership of the committees with no recourse for individual members of Congress except for an up-or-down vote on the overall agriculture spending measure," Frederickson said.
Mandatory COOL was adopted by Congress in 2002, and its implementation for everything but seafood has been delayed.
"I find it odd that it is taking this country longer to put a label on its food than to put a man on the moon," Frederickson added.
WASHINGTON (October 27, 2005) – A key Congressional conference committee adopted an additional two year delay of the implementation of mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) for all products except seafood. A majority of the conferees have signed off on the House and Senate report, setting up a final passage vote in both houses in the near future.
The delay is a repeat of history, when the same action occurred in 2003. On both of these occasions there was no public debate or vote, and the decision was made behind closed doors.
"It is a travesty that U.S. producers and consumers' interests are losing out to pressure from the retailers, packers and processors, who all have aggressively fought this law since its inception," NFU President Dave Frederickson said.
"Once again a deal has been struck behind closed doors by the majority leadership of the committees with no recourse for individual members of Congress except for an up-or-down vote on the overall agriculture spending measure," Frederickson said.
Mandatory COOL was adopted by Congress in 2002, and its implementation for everything but seafood has been delayed.
"I find it odd that it is taking this country longer to put a label on its food than to put a man on the moon," Frederickson added.