[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 5 (Tuesday, February 3, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S318]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  By Mr. LEVIN:
  S. 1597. A bill to establish food safety research, education, and 
extension as priorities of the Department of Agriculture, to require 
the use of a designated team within the Department of Agriculture to 
enable the Department and other Federal agencies to rapidly respond to 
food safety emergencies, and to improve food safety through the 
development and commercialization of food safety technology; to the 
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.


                     THE SAFE FOOD ACTION PLAN ACT

  Mr. LEVIN. Madam President, I am pleased to be introducing companion 
legislation to a bill prepared by Congresswoman Debbie Stabenow 
entitled the Safe Food Action Plan Act.
  The bill adds food safety as a new statutory priority in the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture's research, education and extension programs. 
This should mean that more of the nearly $1.5 billion spent through 
existing grant and research programs, including the Fund for Rural 
America, will be focused directly on food safety. That's the kind of 
awareness that we need, to prevent and combat food supply 
contamination.
  The bill also creates a Federal Emergency Management Agency-like 
approach to dealing with food safety crises. Currently, there are at 
least 3 agencies within the Department of Agriculture that have some 
responsibility for preventing and controlling outbreaks of food borne 
disease, not to mention the Food and Drug Administration and the 
Centers for Disease Control. This bill establishes a Food Safety Rapid 
Response Team across internal division boundaries within USDA that will 
coordinate with other Federal agencies. If outbreaks do occur, the 
American people must be confident that the government is prepared to 
efficiently handle and limit such public health threats.
  This legislation was developed by Congresswoman Stabenow over several 
months with input from all parts of the food production and consumption 
chain and the Department of Agriculture. It is an excellent complement 
to the Administration's enforcement enhancement proposal. The Safe Food 
Action Plan is a sensible and cost-effective way to make the Federal 
government responsive and responsible.
  I hope the Agriculture Committee will seek to move this legislation 
as quickly as possible, and I urge my colleagues to consider 
cosponsoring this important measure.
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