Congress is back in session, and it has to address how to fund the government in the coming year. The dangerous “Monsanto” rider is still on the table for the 2013 Appropriations bill, and we need to stop it!
Though cloaked in “farmer-friendly” language, this “farmer assurance provision” is simply a biotech industry ploy to continue to plant genetically modified (GMO) crops even when a court of law has found they were approved illegally. The provision undermines USDA’s oversight of GMO crops and interferes with the U.S. judicial review process. It is also completely unnecessary and offers “assurance” only to biotech companies like Monsanto, not farmers.
We need legislators who are willing to stand up and say no to this dangerous rider!
Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR) has authored a “Dear Colleague” letter opposing the biotech rider and is urging his colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to join him. Please tell your Representative to support the DeFazio Dear Colleague letter opposing the biotech rider!
In addition, Senator Inouye, as Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, is in a key position to stop this rider. We need everyone to ask their Senators to urge Senator Inouye to stand firm against the rider.
There is only a short period of time for Congress to resolve the Appropriations Bill before the end of the lame duck session. Please take action today!
TAKE ACTION
1) Contact your US. Representative and urge him or her to sign on to the DeFazio letter opposing the biotech rider in the 2013 Appropriations bill. If you don’t know who represents you, you can find out online at www.house.gov [enter your zip code to “Find Your Representative”] or by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
- Message: My name is ___, and I am a constituent. I am calling to urge Representative ____ to strongly oppose the “farmer assurance provision,” section 733, currently included in the House Fiscal Year 2013 Agriculture Appropriations bill. Congress must protect the few safeguards we have in place for genetically engineered crops, not eliminate them to appease a handful of chemical companies. I urge my Representative to sign on to the letter by Representative DeFazio opposing the biotech rider.
2) Contact both of your U.S. Senators and urge them to ask Senator Inouye to stand firm and not allow the biotech rider in the Senate version of the 2013 Appropriations bill. If you don’t know who represents you, you can find out online at www.senate.gov [click on your state at “Find Your Senators”] or by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
- Message: My name is ___, and I am a constituent. I am calling to ask that Senator ____ to strongly oppose the “farmer assurance provision”, section 733, currently included in the House Fiscal Year 2013 Agriculture Appropriations bill. I ask that my Senator urge Senate Appropriations Chairman Inouye to oppose this dangerous and non-germane rider. Congress must protect the few safeguards we have in place for genetically engineered crops, not eliminate them to appease a handful of chemical companies.
More Information
Though wrapped in a “farmer-friendly” package, the biotech rider (section 733) is simply an industry ploy to continue to plant GMO crops even when a court of law has found they were approved illegally.
The provision is intended to force USDA to grant temporary permits and deregulations of GMO crops even if a Federal court rules that USDA hadn’t adequately considered the environmental or economic risks to farmers. This would negate any meaningful judicial review of USDA’s decisions to allow commercialization of GMO crops.
If a GMO crop approval was shown to violate the law and require further analysis of its harmful impacts (as several courts have concluded in recent years, for example with GMO alfalfa and GMO sugar beets) this provision would override any court-mandated caution and allow continued planting and commercialization while further review takes place.
The judicial review process is an essential element of U.S. law and serves as a vital check on any federal agency decision that may negatively impact human health, the environment, or livelihoods. Yet this rider seeks an end-run around such judicial review by preemptively deciding that industry can set its own conditions to continue to sell biotech seeds, even if a court may find them to have been wrongfully approved.
Further, it forces USDA to approve permits for such continued planting immediately, putting industry completely in charge by creating loophole approvals tailored to counter any “inconvenient” court decisions for the industry. USDA’s duty is to protect the interests of all farmers and the environment, a duty that would be eliminated by this provision.
The provision is also completely unnecessary. No farmer has ever had his or her crops destroyed following such a court ruling. Every court to decide these issues has carefully weighed the interests of farmers, as is already required by law.
Click here to read the rider (see section 733 on page 86 of the pdf) or view the excerpt below.
This rider effectively guts the few existing protections against the spread of dangerous GMO crop. Please help us stop it!
GMO Rider – Sec 733 of Appropriations Bill, 6/12/12 version
Source: http://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/bills-112hr-fc-ap-fy13-agriculture.pdf
Footer date: June 12, 2012 (4:51 p.m.)
- NOTICE: This bill is given out subject to release when consideration of it has been completed by the full Committee. Please check on such action before release in order to be advised of any changes.
Section 733, excerpted from pp. 86-87
In the event that a determination of non-regulated status made pursuant to section 411 of the Plant Protection Act is or has been invalidated or vacated, the Secretary of Agriculture shall, notwithstanding any other provision of law, upon request by a farmer, grower, farm operator, or producer, immediately grant temporary permit(s) or temporary deregulation in part, subject to necessary and appropriate conditions consistent with section 411(a) or 412(c) of the Plant Protection Act, which interim conditions shall authorize the movement, introduction, continued cultivation, commercialization and other specifically enumerated activities and requirements, including measures designed to mitigate or minimize potential adverse environmental effects, if any, relevant to the Secretary’s evaluation of the petition for non-regulated status, while ensuring that growers or other users are able to move, plant, cultivate, introduce into commerce and carry out other authorized activities in a timely manner: Provided, That all such conditions shall be applicable only for the interim period necessary for the Secretary to complete any required analyses or consultations related to the petition for non-regulated status: Provided further, That nothing in this section shall be construed as limiting the Secretary’s authority under section 411, 412 and 414 of the Plant Protection Act.
Click here to download the entire document
Last Updated: 12/5/2012