[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 24 (Tuesday, March 8, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[Congressional Record: March 8, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
LABELING MILK CONTAINING BGH
(Mr. SANDERS asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, imagine a group of family farmers or dairy
companies or a grocery story being sued by a giant multinational drug
company simply for putting a label on their milk saying that they do
not use a new drug that causes illness in cows, a drug that, as it
happens, is made by that same multinational corporation.
Sound like an Orwellian nightmare to you? Well, it is actually
happening now here in America. Monsanto, the company that has used its
massive influence to get the FDA to approve its bovine growth hormone
drug, is now suing small cooperative dairies because they want to tell
their customers that they do not use Monsanto's BGH.
Mr. Speaker, this is an outrage. Large majorities of the American
people have said they want labeling of milk for BGH. But when small
companies respond to consumers' needs, Monsanto tries to intimidate
them with lawsuits.
And where is the FDA in all of this? Unfortunately, as in the past,
the FDA has taken the corporation's side, not the side of the American
people.
Mr. Speaker, let us remind the FDA they work for the American people
and not for Monsanto.
____________________