Johnny Isakson, United States Senator from Georgia Georgia photos

United States Senate
131 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Tel: (202) 224-3643
Fax: (202) 228-0724

One Overton Park, Suite 970
3625 Cumberland Blvd
Atlanta, GA 30339
Tel: (770) 661-0999
Fax: (770) 661-0768


Johnny Isakson's Position Statement on Agriculture

Vidalia Onion delivery Agriculture is the leading industry in Georgia’s vibrant economy. From peaches to poultry and from cotton to timber, Georgia is home to a larger variety of agricultural industries than almost any other state. I’m proud to represent such hardworking Americans and I will continue to make decisions that strengthen our agricultural economy while also protecting its legacy.

Food Safety

I believe there is critical need to protect our nation’s food sources from widespread contamination and outbreaks without compromising our nation’s farmer and food processors, but the legislation that was signed into law in 2011 is not one that I could support.  This law still needs funding before it can be fully implemented and I support effort to block its funding.

I originally supported the food safety bill that was passed by the Senate HELP Committee in 2010 because I believed it was a commonsense approach to updating our food safety and surveillance system. Once this bill came to the Senate floor and was amended, I could no longer support it and vote against its final passage.

The bill passed by the Senate HELP Committee would have modernized our outdated food safety and surveillance system, which had failed the American public by allowing events such as the salmonella outbreak at the Peanut Corportation of America plant in Blakely, Ga., to perpetuate unchecked. The bill would have improved inspections, records access and certification of large production food facilities. The provisions of the bill are scalable for small food producers and even give the Secretary of Health and Human Services the authority to exempt producers considered to be a lower risk.

I took great care to ensure that the bill passed by the HELP Committee keeps the Food and Drug Administration off of the farm and does not affect small farmers or their ability to sell their products at roadside stands or farmers markets. The bill does nothing to regulate agriculture, as that is the responsibility of the USDA.

Contrary to widespread rumors, this legislation did not make gardening at home illegal or criminalize sharing homegrown vegetables with family, friends or neighbors. Additionally, there is no language banning dietary or nutritional supplements.

When the bill passed by Senate HELP Committee came to the floor, Senate Democrats amended in ways that I could not support because the changes would place small growers in Georgia at a disadvantage, among other things. I voted against final passage.

 

Agricultural News Releases
E-mail: http://isakson.senate.gov/contact.cfm

Washington: United States Senate, 131 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510 Tel: (202) 224-3643 Fax: (202) 228-0724
Atlanta: One Overton Park, 3625 Cumberland Blvd, Suite 970, Atlanta, GA 30339 Tel: (770) 661-0999 Fax: (770) 661-0768