Monsanto Protection Act’ quietly extended by America's Owned Congress
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A budget provision protecting genetically-modified seeds from litigation in the face of health risks was extended for three months in an approved US House of Representatives’ spending bill on Tuesday evening. Called “The Monsanto Protection Act” by opponents, the budget rider shields biotech behemoths like Monsanto, Cargill and others from the threat of lawsuits and bars federal courts from intervening to force an end to the sale of a GMO (genetically-modified organism) even if the genetically-engineered product causes damaging health effects.
The biotech rider first made news in March when it was a last-minute addition to the successfully-passed House Agriculture Appropriations Bill for 2013, a short-term funding bill that was approved to avoid a federal government shutdown.
The current three-month extension is part of the short-term FY14 Continuing Resolution spending bill.
The Center for Food Safety, a vocal opponent of the rider, released a statement expressing dismay that the measure once again avoided proper legislative process while usurping the power to challenge GMO products in court.
“The rider represents an unprecedented attack on US judicial review, which is an essential element of US law and provides a critical check on government decisions that may negatively impact human health, the environment or livelihoods,” they wrote. “This also raises potential jurisdictional concerns with the Senate Agriculture and Judiciary Committees that merited hearings by the Committees before its consideration.”
Following the original vote in March, President Barack Obama signed the provision into law as part of larger legislation to avoid a government shutdown. Rallies took place worldwide in May protesting the clandestine effort to protect the powerful companies from judicial scrutiny.
“It is extremely disappointing to see the damaging ‘Monsanto Protection Act’ policy rider extended in the House spending bill,” said Colin O’Neil, director of government affairs for Center for Food Safety. “Hundreds of thousands of Americans called their elected officials to voice their frustration and disappointment over the inclusion of ‘Monsanto Protection Act’ this past spring. Its inclusion is a slap in the face to the American public and our justice system.”
Largely as a result of prior lawsuits, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is required to complete environmental impact statements (EIS) to assess risk prior to both the planting and sale of GMO crops. The extent and effectiveness to which the USDA exercises this rule is in itself a source of serious dispute.
The reviews have been the focus of heated debate between food safety advocacy groups and the biotech industry in the past. In December of 2009, for example, Food Democracy Now collected signatures during the EIS commenting period in a bid to prevent the approval of Monsanto’s GMO alfalfa, which many feared would contaminate organic feed used by dairy farmers; it was approved regardless.
The biotech rider “could override any court-mandated caution and could instead allow continued planting. Further, it forces USDA to approve permits for such continued planting immediately, putting industry completely in charge by allowing for a ‘back door approval’ mechanism,” the Center for Food Safety said.
Comments
I agree with that Keith there is way to much kept from us on a regular basis.
Jason that is true maybe the Syria distraction was a good time to get it through with little notice.
I watch what the congress is up to a few times a week and it is the same old nothing of any help to the economy or the planet, were already over the budget but no one even cares. They argue over things that are so stupid, do they know what the outcome is already and nothing really matters anymore. They fund weapons to the same people we kill in Afghanistan, Yemen that we kill with drones as if its OK and everybody is a moron and can't notice. Nobody who is bad gets prosecuted, people who tell the truth die or disappear. When we stand up and protest the TV won't cover it and if the do we are called terrorists. That's just the political part so when you get down to the allowed poisoning of the earth and its people it gets worse. I ask myself daily is it even possible to change something so evil and deeply embedded all over the world, No wonder the channels are so poplar. The alien pacification plan has to be the only real answer to this totally out of control upside down world. Being in a place that was taken over must leave an impression we can't even imagine. I think I can.
I can see how Congress could write legislation that can bar federal courts from intervening, with the exception of the Supreme Court. Wouldn't this legislation be a violation of the separation of powers? It could be that the Supreme Court as been bought too, but I just find it all strange. Here we are nearly at mid September and Monsanto got first rate service on an extension. They didn't even have to wait until the end of the month.
Maybe our battle will begin in November like James McCanney said in Cheryl's recent blog.
For the scumbags to have to sneak this legislation through in another bill shows they know it is wrong and won't be accepted by the people. I think we are past voting in new lawmakers or repealing anything and we are near end game. hey know this and just no longer care. IMO
Fortunately the Monsanto march across the world has been halted in Europe and therefore this type of legislation will not flow on to other countries.
Laws are created and any law can be changed or repealed so there is hope. I believe this will happen!