May 19:
The Senate will convene at 2:00 p.m. and proceed to a period of morning business with Senators
permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. There will be no roll call votes during Monday's session. The next vote is expected to occur Tuesday morning.
Throughout my years in Congress, I have worked tirelessly to promote
country of origin labeling (COOL). As the author of this program, I
have seen broad bipartisan support of COOL in the United States Congress,
along with strong public support. In fact, this program is not only
widely supported by approximately 92 percent of our nation's consumers,
but also overwhelmingly by our nation's producers. This program is not
just a consumer right-to-know issue; it is a valuable marketing tool
for ranchers and farmers.
President Bush signed mandatory COOL into law in the 2002 Farm Bill,
with an implementation date of September 30, 2004. However, COOL has
fallen victim to a series of backroom deals and closed door discussions.
First, a two-year delay was achieved in the Fiscal Year 2004 omnibus
appropriations bill. Now, because of an incredibly corrupt process during
the Fiscal Year 2006 Agriculture Appropriations Conference Committee,
the program will be postponed until September 30,2008.
Not only was the process by which COOL was delayed absolutely crooked,
this delay yet again takes another stab at rewriting our Farm Bill.
The Farm Bill is a contract with rural America that needs to be honored
��� not modified in closed door dealings. The Administration continues
to cater to the interests of the packing and processing industry���big
agribusiness���while leaving the family farmer out to dry. I simply believe
that our rural communities and agricultural producers can do better.
I will continue to fight for American interests and oppose this USDA's
actions that compromise producer interests. American farmers and ranchers
produce the safest food products in the world, and these efforts should
not be damaged by the Administration's willingness to allow American
products to be mixed with foreign imports without giving consumers the
ability to make informed choices.
Learn More About Disaster Assistance
| The 2002 Farm Bill | Country
of Origin Labeling (COOL) | Nutrition
Information
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