[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 90 (Wednesday, May 13, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S2425]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 575--REAFFIRMING A STRONG COMMITMENT TO UNITED STATES 
          PRODUCERS AND COMMODITIES MADE IN THE UNITED STATES

  Mr. TESTER (for himself, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Daines, Mr. Thune, and Mr. 
Booker) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Finance:

                              S. Res. 575

       Whereas the farmers and ranchers of the United States raise 
     the best beef in the world;
       Whereas consumers have a right to knowingly buy products 
     made in the United States;
       Whereas farmers, ranchers, workers, and consumers in the 
     United States benefit from transparency regarding the origin 
     of food;
       Whereas Congress overwhelmingly supported country-of-origin 
     labeling (also known as ``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 the meat those consumers purchase;
       Whereas, in 2015, Congress repealed the law requiring 
     country-of-origin labeling for beef, reducing the competitive 
     advantage of products born, raised, and slaughtered in the 
     United States;
       Whereas there is no standardized definition of the term 
     ``truth in labeling'', disadvantaging producers in the United 
     States;
       Whereas Congress supports products made in the United 
     States, and consumers deserve 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, such as beef, are misleadingly 
     labeled ``Product of USA'' if those commodities are processed 
     or packed in the United States;
       Whereas technological advancements make it possible to 
     accurately and efficiently identify the origin of beef 
     without costly segregation of imported and domestic 
     commodities, giving producers and consumers the ability to 
     distinguish between beef actually produced in the United 
     States and foreign, imported beef; and
       Whereas country-of-origin labeling is good for farmers, 
     ranchers, workers, and packers because it allows those 
     individuals to identify their products as born and raised in 
     the United States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate urges the President to require 
     the United States Trade Representative to enter into the 
     trade negotiations necessary to implement mandatory country-
     of-origin labeling for beef, in order to allow consumers to 
     make an informed and free choice about where their food comes 
     from.

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