WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Vice Chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, today supported H.R. 2749, The Food Safety Enhancement Act, which passed the full House of Representatives on a strong bipartisan vote of 283 to 142. U.S. Rep. DeGette secured two key provisions in the bill, mandatory recall authority and traceability. Earlier this week, U.S. Rep. DeGette penned an opinion-editorial that was published in both The Mission Ahead, Roll Call’s online policy forum and cross-posted on HuffingtonPost.com. Below is U.S. Rep. DeGette’s floor speech on this historic legislation.

Below are U.S. Rep. DeGette’s remarks as prepared for delivery:

“Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

“Many of us have been talking about comprehensive food safety for years. Our nation's business community is calling for it. Our constituents are begging for it. I’m so pleased that today at long last we are considering this bill on the House floor on a bipartisan basis.

“The bill before us will strengthen our food supply in a number of areas; it will transform our food system into one that focuses on prevention rather than reaction. It will provide the FDA with the resources it has lacked, and by giving it mandatory recall authority and subpoena authority, it will give the FDA the tools it needs to deal with an emergency.

“This bill will also give the FDA the ability to track our food products along the supply chain, enabling targeted and speedier recalls that will benefit businesses and consumers alike this provision of the legislation. We know we can't do it overnight, but it will require the FDA to write regulations undertaking a pilot project, cost benefit analysis, feasibility studies, and public meetings, to make sure that we can track food from field to fork.

“This will improve consumer safety and we exempt the family farm. I urge adoption of this important bill.”

# # #