For Farmers and Consumers Defending the Right to Buy and Protecting the
Right to Sell Nutritious Food Directly from the Farm

OPPOSE HR2749 -
House Votes On Tuesday

The House of Representatives is scheduled for a vote on HR 2749 (The Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009) on Tuesday, July 28 (tomorrow). HR 2749 will be voted "on suspension", meaning that debate will be limited to 40 minutes and no amendments will be considered. A two-thirds vote will be required for HR 2749 to pass. The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund is asking everyone to contact their U.S. Representatives requesting that they vote against HR 2749.

Industrial food processors and food imports need effective regulation, but this should not be done at the expense of the ‘local food system.' HR2749 will impose burdensome regulations on small farmers and local food producers including registration fees and extensive paperwork requirements for which many small food businesses will not have the resources to comply. The ‘local food system' is not the source of the food safety problems in this country, small farmers and local artisanal producers are part of the solution.

HR 2749 would reduce FDA's accountability while significantly increasing its power. The bill would empower FDA to conduct warrantless searches of business records without any evidence whatsoever that a violation has occurred, to order a quarantine prohibiting or restricting the movement of food in a geographic area. HR 2749 also creates severe criminal and civil penalties with the potential for substantial fines for even minor violations of the law.

Urge your Representative to vote against HR 2749 and support a food safety bill that will target imports and industrial foods while leaving small farmers and local food producers alone.

Three Ways to Contact your Representative:

1. Sign the Fund's Petition and the American Association of Health Freedom's Petition.

2. Go to "My Elected Officials" at www.congress.org and enter your zip code to find your legislators. Call and/or send a fax.

3. Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 to contact your Representative's office.

NEWS
ALERTS
PETITIONS
SWARMS
BLOGS
ARTICLES

July 27 - Court Dismisses FTCLDF's National Animal Identificaion System Lawsuit
July 27 - Not very NAIS
July 27 - House vote expected this week on food safety bill
July 27 - USDA Closing NAIS Listening Tour Comment Period on August 3
July 27 - New investment would boost local food
July 27 - Beach reads for foodies A menu of summer treats
July 27 - Keeping it local: UW-Madison diners get 'home-grown' veggies
July 27 - Hot, Dry, Thriving? A Farm Plan for California
July 27 - Beginning Farmers Invited To Apply
July 27 - Hot dogs should carry a warning label, lawsuit says
July 27 - ISDA to update raw milk rules
July 27 - Floating farm is the wave of the future
July 27 - Alaska gardeners reap giant harvest
July 27 - Brasher: Food-safety bill meets objections from groups
July 23 - Chemical Makers Go on the Offensive in Agriculture
July 23 - Lawmakers and Farmers Clash on Food Safety Bill
more...

USA - July 27 - Contact Your Representative - HR 2749 House Vote on Tuesday!
USA - June 26 - HR2749 Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 Update
USA - June 18 - HR 2749 Action Alert - 061709 Hearing Update
NV - June 17 - Raw Milk Petition, Commission & Meeting
USA - June 16 - New Food Safety Bill HR2749
USA - June 9 - Meeting Locations for NAIS Listening Sessions
USA - May 29 - Farmers and Consumers Tell USDA “No NAIS!â€