Saturday, July 25, 2015

Letter to Congress About GMO free Labeling (with response)

So I was going through Facebook this afternoon while I was waiting for my Micafungen infusion and I saw a link about Congress voting on a bill to have the USDA develop guidelines for labeling for products as "GMO free." It is good to have standardized guidelines especially if they help the consumer and general public. This does not do that so I decided to write my congressman instructing him to vote know. We must stop this madness/stupidity. So here it is. I am sure there are typos but I wrote it on my phone so....

I have read a notice that the house plans to view on a bill to have the USDA develop guidelines for "GMO free" labeling of food products. Please vote no to this idea and consider more a set of guidelines for labeling some food products and "organic." There are several reasons for this and they are listed below in no order of importance:1. Organic labeling is more of a marketing ploy to have producers sell more and charge more for their low yield product that is generally no more healthy than its noon-organic counterpart.2. There is no such thing as a"GMO free" food product on our modern society. The food we have eaten in the more recent past was genetically modified by what I call blunter processes like selective breeding and hybridization. The fact that we can now perform that work with better precision and accuracy at the generic level actually makes the foods product safer.
3. There is no evidence that GMO for products are unsafe. In reality, many "GMO" crops are safer because less pesticides are used because part of the genetic modification addresses pest control.I am sure there are other reasons and many more facts to add that shoulder convince you to not only reject this bill but also I would expect you to champion the effort to encourage your colleagues to reject this pandering.Thanks you for your consideration.Robert Duff

So here is the reply from our great Congressman.  Or at least a staffer.

Dear Mr. Duff,
Thank you for contacting the office of Congressman Brendan Boyle to express your support for labeling genetically modified foods (GMOs). My name is Helena Mastrogianis, and I am Congressman Boyle's Legislative Director. He asked that I respond to your inquiry on his behalf. The Congressman highly values the input he receives from citizens like you because the concerns that you express to him inform his decisions on policy and votes. This type of feedback allows Congressman Boyle to maintain an open discussion with those he represents and it is the top priority of our office.
As you may know, the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015, H.R. 1599, was introduced with the intent to prevent states from requiring GMO labels on foods and other products. Congressman Boyle voted against the bill on July 23, 2015 because he believes that consumers have a right to make fully-informed decisions about the products they purchase. Many states have passed their own laws requiring labeling of genetically modified food and ingredients. Congressman Boyle believes that these states should not be prevented from enacting reasonable legislation in the interest of consumer protection and choice. There needs to be more research on the long-term effects of eating and using GMOs. Since we have yet to determine the long-term ramifications of genetically-modified food, Congressman Boyle will support the open disclosure of genetically modified food to the public
H.R. 1599 passed by a vote of 275-150. Again, thank you for contacting our office and sharing your concerns.  Please do not hesitate to contact us again regarding this or any other matter.
Sincerely,
Helena Mastrogianis
Well, he voted my way but for a different reason.  Still, the vote went down party lines and will probably get killed or radically changed in the Senate.  We will see.   

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