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Congressional Leaders Support M-COOL

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Anonymous

Guest
CN_Today 1/23/2007 7:30:00 PM


Key US Reps Voice Support For Meat Origin Labels



WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)-Key Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives have voiced support in recent days for enacting a mandatory country-of-origin labeling law for beef, pork and lamb.



Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee Collin Peterson, D-Minn., said Tuesday he is intent on seeing a labeling law enacted as early as the end of this year, but more likely sometime in 2008.



Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., said Friday she strongly supports legislation to require that consumers know where the meat they buy comes from.



Peterson, speaking to reporters after a committee meeting, said the labeling is needed, but the rules devised by the Bush administration to implement the labeling law needs to be changed.



“The rule that was written in 2003 I think has got some problems and is not a good rule so we haven’t decided exactly how to proceed here,“ Peterson said, without explaining what those problems were.



“I think it’s clear that country-of-origin labeling is going to be implemented, it’s just a question of when and a question of us trying to get this process set up so that the implementation can actually be accomplished in a way that’s sensible and reasonable,“ he said.



The law mandating origin labels on meat products was originally ratified as part of the 2002 farm bill and slated to be implemented in 2004, but opponents have successfully delayed that from happening.



Peterson, DeLauro and other proponents of country-of-origin labeling differ sharply with the Bush administration which still stands against the law.



U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns criticized origin labeling Tuesday.



“I just don’t think it makes sense. It’s an expensive process,“ he said.



Labeling, he stressed, does not improve food safety and may create complications with trading partners.



“What tends to happen in these situations is whatever action we take sends a signal to the rest of the world that not only can they take that action, but maybe they should take another step and another step and another step and it just becomes a serious problem for trading relationships,“ Johanns said.



Source: Bill Tomson Dow Jones Newswires 202-646-0088 [email protected]
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
"What tends to happen in these situations is whatever action we take sends a signal to the rest of the world that not only can they take that action, but maybe they should take another step and another step and another step and it just becomes a serious problem for trading relationships,“ Johanns said"

Hey, Mike, most of our customers already have labeling.....
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Sandhusker said:
"What tends to happen in these situations is whatever action we take sends a signal to the rest of the world that not only can they take that action, but maybe they should take another step and another step and another step and it just becomes a serious problem for trading relationships,“ Johanns said"

Hey, Mike, most of our customers already have labeling.....

Yeah- I saw that too Sandhusker :roll: :lol: -- My guess is he doesn't get out with the common folks much in his world travels.....
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
Oldtimer said:
Sandhusker said:
"What tends to happen in these situations is whatever action we take sends a signal to the rest of the world that not only can they take that action, but maybe they should take another step and another step and another step and it just becomes a serious problem for trading relationships,“ Johanns said"

Hey, Mike, most of our customers already have labeling.....

Yeah- I saw that too Sandhusker :roll: :lol: -- My guess is he doesn't get out with the common folks much in his world travels.....

My guess is the USDA is just used to BSing again and he's hoping people just take his word and not actually think about it. We know even from reading here that a lot of folks don't stop and actually think about what was said/printed.

I think that tells you right there that there are other reasons why the USDA is taking the anti-COOL stand. BS is generally created to cover up BS. I have a hard time believing that the Secretary of Agriculture isn't up to snuff on our customer's labeling laws.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
OCM Supports Mandatory COOL Bill



Source: OCM Media Release

January 30, 2007



The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) strongly supports new legislation that will move up the deadline for all meat products to carry a country-of-origin label. The lead sponsors of this new legislation are Senators Max Baucus (D MT) and Craig Thomas (R WY) with co-sponsor support by John Thune (R SD), Charles Grassley (R IA), John Tester (D MT), Jeff Bingaman (D NM), Byron Dorgan (D ND), Mike Enzi (R WY), and Kent Conrad (D ND).



The newly filed bill would move the deadline for implementation from September 30, 2008 to September 30, 2007. Mandatory country of origin labeling was passed as part of the 2002 Farm Bill, but USDA has worked to undermine the law. Meat packers persuaded some lawmakers to prevent implementation through denying funding in the appropriations process.



“USDA’s anti-consumer position was destined to ultimately fail,” said Keith Mudd, OCM president. “The moneyed interests can only resist consumer demands for so long. Soon, consumers of beef and pork will learn where the livestock was raised just as consumers of seafood now know the origin of that product.”


Representative Henry Bonilla (R TX) spearheaded the drive to prevent COOL from being implemented. Bonilla was defeated in a run-off election in December, 2006.



The Organization for Competitive Markets is a nonprofit organization working for American food producers, consumers and rural communities.



competitivemarkets.com
 
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