    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
    [July 3, 1999]
    [Pages 1128-1129]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    July 3, 1999

        Good morning. This Independence Day at backyard barbecues and
    picnics in local parks, Americans celebrate the spirit of patriotism
    that has strengthened our Nation for 223 years now. Today I want to talk
    about what we must do to ensure that the food we serve at those
    gatherings is as safe as we can possibly make it, to keep our Nation
    growing healthy as well as strong.
        Our food supply is the most bountiful in the world, and for 6\1/2\
    years, our administration has been committed to making it the safest in
    the world, from establishing a nationwide early warning system for
    foodborne illness to expanding food safety research and public education
    programs to increasing inspections of food at every point in the chain
    of production.
        Last year I established the Joint Institute for Food Safety Research
    and appointed the first-ever President's Council on Food Safety to
    coordinate and expand food safety efforts at every level of the Federal
    Government. I'm proud of the progress we're making, but when it comes to
    keeping our families safe, we can always do more, and we must.
        Today, Americans eat more imported food than ever before, and they
    have more choices than ever. Think of it: Thirty years ago, just a dozen
    kinds of fruits and vegetables were available year-round. Today, you
    could buy a different kind of fruit or vegetable every day of the year,
    and many were grown on the other side of the world. There's no evidence
    that these fruits and vegetables are less safe than those grown here in
    the United States. But some recent outbreaks of foodborne illness have
    been traced to imported foods.
        Our import laws are very clear. We will not allow unsafe food to
    enter the United States. But a recent GAO report showed that some
    importers are sidestepping our laws and getting contaminated food across
    our borders and onto our kitchen tables. While most importers comply
    with our regulations, it only takes one bad apple to spoil the whole
    bunch, only one shipment of contaminated food to threaten hundreds, even
    thousands of Americans.
        That is why today, consistent with our international obligations,
    I'm directing the Treasury Department and the Health and Human Services
    Department to take immediate action to

    [[Page 1129]]

    keep unsafe food from crossing our borders. First, we will take new
    steps to stop port shopping, preventing importers whose unsafe food has
    been turned away at one U.S. port from slipping their goods in at
    another. To make sure this unsafe food can be easily spotted, we will
    stamp all rejected food with the clear label, ``Refused U.S.''
        Second, Customs and the FDA will rigorously enforce and expand our
    policy of destroying imported food that poses a serious health threat
    rather than risk letting it reach our grocery stores or the global
    market.
        Third, we'll do more to deter dishonest importers by increasing the
    bond they must post while food is being inspected for safety. Too many
    importers forfeit their bonds as a simple cost of doing business. That's
    wrong, and we should stop it. These steps will help us to close the gaps
    in our food safety system.
        But Congress must also act. I'm grateful for the presence here today
    of Congressman Dingell and Congressman
    Brown. Congress should start by passing
    comprehensive food safety legislation that would increase the FDA's
    authority to turn away imported food that does not meet our high safety
    standards, and Congress should grant USDA the authority to impose civil
    penalties and to order mandatory recalls of unsafe meat and poultry.
        Finally, Congress should fully fund my $72 million food safety
    initiative to increase the number of agents and inspections of high-risk
    food products right here at home and increase the number of inspections
    of foreign food processors around the world.
        Americans have a right to know that the food they serve their
    families is safe, whether it comes from the far corners of the world or
    the corner produce stand. I'm pleased that so many Members of Congress
    are committed to giving them that security. I appreciate the
    initiatives, especially of Senator Durbin and
    Representatives Dingell and Brown, along with Senators Mikulski, Kennedy, Harkin, Collins, and Representatives
    Eshoo and Waxman.
    I look forward to working with all Members of Congress of both parties
    to build a stronger nation with a healthier food supply for the 21st
    century.
        Have a happy and healthy Fourth of July, and thanks for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 12:37 p.m. on July 2 in the Roosevelt
    Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on July 3. In his
    address, the President referred to Representative Sherrod Brown. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    July 2 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast.