[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 120 (Tuesday, July 28, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1135]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              SAFE AND ACCURATE FOOD LABELING ACT OF 2015

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                               speech of

                           HON. STEVE ISRAEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 23, 2015

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1599) to 
     amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect 
     to food produced from, containing, or consisting of a 
     bioengineered organism, the labeling of natural foods, and 
     for other purposes:

  Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Chair, I rise today to express my opposition to H.R. 
1599, the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015. This legislation 
would prohibit the Food and Drug Administration from developing a 
national genetically modified organism (GMO) labeling system for food, 
block any state or local laws to require GMO labeling, and ultimately 
deny consumers the right to know what is in their food.
   Nearly 90 percent of consumers wish to know if their food contains 
GMO ingredients and I believe Americans should have that same right 
that 64 other nations have already provided their citizens.
   H.R. 1599 lets down the American consumer and for that reason I am 
opposed to this legislation and encourage the House of Representatives 
to take up legislation that adequately addresses this issue and gives 
consumers the information they demand.

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