[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 391 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 391

  Reaffirming a strong commitment to U.S. producers and American-made 
                              commodities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 31, 2019

 Mr. Tester submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
         the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

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                               RESOLUTION


 
  Reaffirming a strong commitment to U.S. producers and American-made 
                              commodities.

Whereas the U.S. farmers and ranchers raise the best meat in the world;
Whereas Americans should have the right to knowingly buy made in America 
        products;
Whereas American farmers, ranchers, workers and consumers benefit from 
        transparency on the origin of food;
Whereas Congress overwhelmingly supported Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) in 
        the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-246; 122 
        Stat. 1651) because 87 percent of consumers want to know the country of 
        origin of their meat;
Whereas in 2015, Congress repealed the Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) law for 
        beef and pork, reducing the competitive advantage of products born, 
        raised, and slaughtered in the U.S.;
Whereas there is no standardized definition of the term ``truth in labeling'', 
        disadvantaging American producers;
Whereas Congress supports American products, and consumers deserve the right to 
        know where their food comes from;
Whereas the United States has the highest phytosanitary standards in the world 
        while other countries place less emphasis on food safety;
Whereas foreign commodities, like beef and pork, are misleadingly labeled 
        ``Product of USA'' if they are processed or packed in the United States;
Whereas technological advancements make it possible to accurately and 
        efficiently identify the origin of beef and pork without costly 
        segregation of imported and domestic commodities;
Whereas this gives producers and consumers the ability to identify true American 
        products from foreign imported meat; and
Whereas Country-of-Origin labeling is good for farmers, ranchers, workers, and 
        packers, because it allows them to identify their products as born and 
        raised in the United States: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate supports legislation to reinstate 
Country-of-Origin labeling for pork and beef to allow consumers to make 
an informed and free choice about where their food comes from.
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