[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 173 (Thursday, October 31, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S6338]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE RESOLUTION 391--REAFFIRMING A STRONG COMMITMENT TO THE U.S. 
                PRODUCERS AND AMERICAN-MADE COMMODITIES

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

                              S. Res. 391

       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       Whereas in 2015, Congress repealed the Country-of-Origin 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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