Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) slams Monsanto as he introduces a GMO Labeling amendment to the Farm Bill

Today during the Senate debate over amendments to the Farm Bill (S.3240), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) slammed Monsanto repeatedly during his remarks. Please click here to contact your Senators and tell’em to support the GMO labeling amendment.

Text of amendment from the Library of Congress:

   SA 2256. Mr. SANDERS (for himself and Mrs. BOXER) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 3240, to reauthorize agricultural programs through 2017, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

    On page 1009, after line 11, add the following:

   SEC. 12207. CONSUMERS RIGHT TO KNOW ABOUT GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOOD ACT.

    (a) Short Title.–This section may be cited as the “Consumers Right to Know About Genetically Engineered Food Act”.

    (b) Findings.–Congress finds that–

    (1) surveys of the American public consistently show that 90 percent or more of the people of the United States want genetically engineered or modified foods to be labeled as such;

    (2) a landmark public health study in Canada found that–

    (A) 93 percent of pregnant women had detectable toxins from genetically engineered or modified foods in their blood; and

    (B) 80 percent of the babies of those women had detectable toxins in their umbilical cords;

    (3) the tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States clearly reserves powers in the system of Federalism to the States or to the people; and

    (4) States have the authority to require the labeling of foods produced through genetic engineering or derived from organisms that have been genetically engineered.

    (c) Definitions.–In this section:

    (1) GENETIC ENGINEERING.–

    (A) IN GENERAL.–The term “genetic engineering” means a process that alters an organism at the molecular or cellular level by means that are not possible under natural conditions or processes.

    (B) INCLUSIONS.–The term “genetic engineering” includes–

[Page: S3908]

    (i) recombinant DNA and RNA techniques;

    (ii) cell fusion;

    (iii) microencapsulation;

    (iv) macroencapsulation;

    (v) gene deletion and doubling;

    (vi) introduction of a foreign gene; and

    (vii) changing the position of genes.

    (C) EXCLUSIONS.–The term “genetic engineering” does not include any modification to an organism that consists exclusively of–

    (i) breeding;

    (ii) conjugation;

    (iii) fermentation;

    (iv) hybridization;

    (v) in vitro fertilization; or

    (vi) tissue culture.

    (2) GENETICALLY ENGINEERED AND GENETICALLY MODIFIED INGREDIENT.–The term “genetically engineered and genetically modified ingredient” means any ingredient in any food, beverage, or other edible product that–

    (A) is, or is derived from, an organism that is produced through the intentional use of genetic engineering; or

    (B) is, or is derived from, the progeny of intended sexual reproduction, asexual reproduction, or both of 1 or more organisms described in subparagraph (A).

    (d) Right to Know.–Notwithstanding any other Federal law (including regulations), a State may require that any food, beverage, or other edible product offered for sale in that State have a label on the container or package of the food, beverage, or other edible product, indicating that the food, beverage, or other edible product contains a genetically engineered or genetically modified ingredient.

    (e) Regulations.–Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commissioner of Food and Drugs and the Secretary of Agriculture shall promulgate such regulations as are necessary to carry out this section.

    (f) Report.–Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall submit a report to Congress detailing the percentage of food and beverages sold in the United States that contain genetically engineered or genetically modified ingredients.

UPDATE – 6/21/2012

After Monsanto spent millions of dollars on lobbying Congress and funding their political campaigns, the Senate voted against this important amendment. Below is the breakdown of how the Senate voted: