FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Claire Parker
202.677.7699
press@cfsaf.org
July 7, 2016
CFSAF Commends Senate Passage of Uniform, National Disclosure Bill
(Washington, D.C.) – The Coalition for Safe Affordable Food today praised the U.S. Senate’s passage by a 63-30 vote of common-sense bipartisan legislation developed by Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) that will protect American farmers and small businesses while providing a consistent, transparent food disclosure framework for shoppers across America.
“The Senate has provided all Americans a transparent and consistent system of disclosure that will give consumers access to more product information than ever before, and we urge the House to consider this legislation next week” said Pamela G. Bailey, President and CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers Association and CFSAF co-chair. “Nearly 1,100 organizations in the food-producing community are united behind this bill to set a uniform, national standard that protects American family farmers and small businesses. Today’s vote means that both chambers of Congress have had strong bipartisan votes to set a national standard and avoid the higher costs and consumer confusion from a patchwork of state labeling laws.”
“We are tremendously thankful for this Senate vote and for the leadership of Senators Roberts and Stabenow,” said Charles F. Conner, President and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives and co-chair of CFSAF. “We will now turn our full attention to working with the House and explaining why this is the right solution for farmers, food companies and consumers. This bill is simply too important to let sit until after the summer recess. Vermont’s law is already in effect and the negative consequences are already being felt. We need to get this solution passed by Congress and signed into law this month.”
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