The lame-duck session of Congress is already up to mischief. The St. Petersburg Examiner reports today that the Senate is scheduled to consider the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act.today.
The article describes the bill as follows:
"This is a poorly written bill that expands the authority and jurisdiction of the: Department of Health and Human Services, Food & Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control, EPA, and Homeland Security. It will make food more expensive, and make life more difficult for small farmers, food processors, and distributors."
Under the bill food facilities will be required to "identify and evaluate known or reasonably foreseeable hazards that may be associated with the facility." The problem here is the word 'foreseeable.' Farmers and businessmen are not psychic--who determines whether or not a problem was foreseeable?
According to Townhall.com:
"It will create 17,000 new bureaucrats, who's job is going to be to harass small farmers. It will create huge regulatory burdens for small family farms and even for those who want to grown their own food. This will choke out small farms. For those who like to buy their own healthy food, forget it. It will no longer be available."
This is another government power grab that needs to be stopped in its tracks or repealed when the Republicans take over the House of Representatives in January. My home garden where I grow tomatoes should not be subject to government regulation!
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