[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 57 (Thursday, April 19, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S2542]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     FOOD SAFETY ACCOUNTABILITY ACT

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, one year ago, the Senate unanimously passed 
the Food Safety Accountability Act. This week, the Food and Drug 
Administration announced that raw tuna from a California supplier has 
sickened more than 100 people in 20 States with salmonella poisoning. 
We do not yet know the cause of the current outbreak, but if enacted, 
the Food Safety Accountability Act would help stop outbreaks of illness 
related to food safety. It is time for the House to pass this 
noncontroversial legislation.
  The Food Safety Accountability Act promotes more accountability for 
food suppliers by increasing the sentences that prosecutors can seek 
for people who violate our food safety laws in those cases where there 
is conscious or reckless disregard of a risk of death or serious bodily 
injury. Current statutes do not provide sufficient criminal sanctions 
for those who knowingly violate our food safety laws.
  Knowingly distributing adulterated food is already illegal, but it is 
in most cases merely a misdemeanor, and the Sentencing Commission has 
found that perpetrators generally do not serve jail time. The 
alternative, fines and recalls, fall short in protecting the public 
from harmful products. Too often, those who are willing to endanger our 
American citizens in pursuit of profits view such fines or recalls as 
merely the cost of doing business.
  Salmonella poisoning is all too common and sometimes results from 
inexcusable, knowing conduct such as that carefully targeted by the 
Food Safety Accountability Act. The company responsible for a 
salmonella outbreak last summer had a long history of environmental, 
immigration, labor, and food safety violations. It is clear that fines 
are not enough to protect the public and effectively deter this 
unacceptable conduct. We need to make sure that those who knowingly 
poison the food supply will go to jail. This bill will significantly 
increase the chances that those who commit serious food safety crimes 
will face jail time rather than merely a slap on the wrist.
  Food safety received considerable attention in the last Congress, and 
I was pleased that we finally passed comprehensive food safety reforms, 
but our work is not done. A provision almost identical to the Food 
Safety Accountability Act has previously passed the House with strong, 
bipartisan support. Now that the Senate has unanimously passed this 
bill, it is long overdue for the House to act.
  The American people should be confident that the food they buy for 
their families is safe. The uncertainty and fear caused by the current 
salmonella outbreak only reinforces the need to pass the common sense 
Food Safety Accountability Act. I urge the House to quickly pass the 
Senate bill and join us in taking this important step toward protecting 
our food supply.

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