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Fighting Hunger and Ensuring Food Safety

Our Compassion Demands that We Fight to End Hunger

I share the concerns of many of my constituents, often motivated by their faith and values, to end hunger domestically and abroad. Hunger causes profound and needless human suffering. Hunger stunts growth, affects cognitive development, and limits human potential. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have long fought for increased funding for and improved effectiveness of the important Federal food and nutrition programs that aid millions of Americans, as well as for better partnerships with local organizations that assist those who are poor and homeless. Specifically, the Federal Food Stamp program, the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, and the Temporary

Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program have produced significant improvements in nutrition for all those among us who are needy and poor, especially women, infants and children. I will continue to support these programs and others that fight hunger and assist families and children.

To effect lasting change, our government must also develop a comprehensive plan to end hunger and malnutrition in our country. For this reason, I am a proud cosponsor of legislation that seeks to end domestic hunger by the year 2015 and provide grants to eligible public food program service providers or nonprofit organizations that will help us realize that goal.

Ensuring Access to Safe, Nutritious Food

Ensuring that the people of our nation have access to food that is safe and nutritious is one of my highest priorities. That is why I have consistently called for stronger food safety regulations. Government must push harder for improved labeling, animal tracking, and testing for tainted meat. For the first time in this country, in December of 2003, a dairy cow tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or "Mad Cow Disease") in Washington State. Since then, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other federal and state officials have reassured the public and foreign buyers that U.S. cattle and beef are safe. They have also announced a series of actions intended to improve the effectiveness of the existing system of safeguards against the introduction and spread of Mad Cow Disease in the United States. To confirm these public reassurances, I remain in contact with the USDA

Country of Origin Labeling (COOL)

I also support Country of Origin Labeling (COOL). Improved labeling of foods will improve overall food safety and provide important information to consumers. With regard to COOL, I believe that consumers should have the right to know where their food comes from. Current law mandates that retailers must provide COOL on fresh fruits and vegetables, red meats, seafood, and peanuts, as well as monitor compliance of COOL or face a penalty. However, Congress has repeatedly delayed the implementation of COOL due to the objections of a number of Members of Congress who claim that COOL is costly and should be voluntary. I will continue to fight to fully and immediately implement COOL.

Concerns About Genetically-Altered Foods

I am also concerned about the labeling of genetically altered foods. The rise of genetically-altered foods is cause for concern, and our labeling of these foods must be straightforward. Today, genetically engineered crops cover one-fourth of U.S. croplands, including more than 35 percent of all corn, almost 55 percent of all soybeans, and nearly half of all cotton. Some of these bioengineered items come to market as whole foods, while others find their way to consumers through processed foods. Some of these special crops contain genes from bacteria and viruses to make them resistant to pests and certain kinds of herbicides, which may pose additional dangers for humans and is another reason why I will continue to fight for improved labeling of foods.

Access to Vitamins and Supplements

I believe Americans should have access to the vitamins and dietary supplements that would benefit them and strongly oppose any and all attempts to restrict their access to these helpful and natural remedies. I will continue to work to protect the flexibility and freedom enjoyed by Americans to exercise a health regimen of their choice.

It is my belief that at this time there is a sufficient safety-net in place in the form of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994. DSHEA already legalized and mandated the regulation of dietary supplements while addressing supplement definitions, safety, ingredient and nutrition labeling, and good manufacturing practices. Additionally it created a supplement commission, and established an Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health.

Since DSHEA's passage, which changed the safety standard and placed the burden of proof for supplement safety on the agency instead of on supplement manufacturers, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued alerts on several supplements to warn consumers of possible safety problems. For my part, I will continue to closely monitor this situation and consumers' access to dietary supplements should any proposals to negatively alter DSHEA be considered by the U.S. Congress.

Posted March 6, 2006