{"id":9970,"date":"2013-03-14T00:01:40","date_gmt":"2013-03-14T04:01:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/?p=9970"},"modified":"2013-03-18T11:22:39","modified_gmt":"2013-03-18T15:22:39","slug":"urgent-action-needed-coalition-calls-for-congress-to-strike-biotech-rider","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2013\/03\/urgent-action-needed-coalition-calls-for-congress-to-strike-biotech-rider\/","title":{"rendered":"Make Your Voice Heard: Support Call for Congress to Strike Biotech Rider"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Beyond Pesticides<\/em>, March 14, 2013) A group of over one hundred food businesses and retailers, and family farm, consumer, health, environmental and civil liberties groups, lead by Center for Food Safety and including Beyond Pesticides, have united to support an amendment by Senator John Tester (D-MT) (<\/strong>D-MT) to strike \u00a0 a dangerous biotech policy rider into the Continuing Resolution (CR) now being debated on the Senate floor. The biotech industry has quietly inserted the \u201cbiotech rider\u201d (Sec. 735) into the proposed Senate CR to end judicial oversight of the regulation of genetically engineered (GE) crops. Groups say that this represents a serious and unique assault on the fundamental safeguards of our judicial system, and would negatively effect farmers, the environment, and public health across America. We urge you to call your Senators to demand that Appropriations Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)pull this dangerous and unconstitutional rider, and support the Tester amendment to preserve judicial oversight over regulatory decisions the allowance of GE crops: Find your Senators’ numbers here<\/a>, or call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202)224-3121 and ask for your Senators’ office.
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This dangerous rider was not included in the House-passed CR, and food safety, environmental and farm groups are extremely disappointed to see that the Senate has included it. Though wrapped in a \u201cfarmer-friendly\u201d package, this industry-driven rider is simply a biotech industry ploy to continue to plant genetically engineered (GE) crops without court oversight of whether proper regulatory reviews were undertaken. \"\"The rider would not merely allow, but would compel the Secretary of Agriculture to immediately grant any requests for permits to allow continued planting and commercialization of an unlawfully approved GE crop.<\/p>\n

The provision undermines USDA\u2019s oversight of GE crops, unnecessarily interferes with the U.S. judicial review process, and could be unconstitutional. It is also completely unnecessary and serves only to offer \u201cassurance\u201d to agrichemical companies like Monsanto, not farmers.<\/p>\n

On the heels of federal court decisions that have found approvals of several genetically engineered (GE) crops to be unlawful, the dangerous rider has been inserted into H.R. 933, the Senate Continuing Resolution (Sec. 735). The rider, not included in the current House CR, would strip federal courts of their authority to assess the legality of potentially hazardous GE crops. Wrapped in a \u201cfarmer-friendly\u201d package, the so-called \u201cfarmer assurance provision\u201d represents a serious assault on the fundamental safeguards of our judicial system and would negatively impact farmers, the environment, and public health across America.<\/p>\n

In addition to being completely unnecessary, the rider represents an unprecedented attack on U.S. judicial review, which is an essential element of U.S. law and provides a critical check on government decisions that may negatively impact human health, the environment, or livelihoods. Congress should not meddle with the fundamental principles of our Constitution \u2014 the separation of powers and the checks and balances among the three branches of government.<\/p>\n

This provision must be stricken from the Senate Continuing Resolution on the following grounds:<\/p>\n