OntheWilderSide

From the Center for Food Safety: 

“List of NYS reps known to be voting for this bill includes Major Owens, Ed Towns, Steve Israel, Sue Kelly, Sherwood Boehlert, Randy Kuhl, John Sweeney, Thomas Reynolds, etc. Please clog all their phones and faxes For links for more information and to submit an on-line letter, go to–http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/”

“A bill is pending in the United States House of Representatives that would eliminate dozens of food safety and labeling laws. The bill, H.R. 4167, the National Uniformity for Food Act, does this by stripping away the power of states to regulate food safety.

This bill was set to hit the House floor for a vote Thursday, March 2nd – But the vote was delayed the night before to Wednesday, March 8th. Help us keep the pressure on to defeat this bill. Please contact your representatives TODAY and urge them to vote NO on HR 4167!”

from the Union of Concerned Scientitsts:

Earlier this week we asked you to urge your member of Congress to vote NO on the National Uniformity for Food Act (H.R. 4167). Last night Congress announced that they would delay voting on this measure for another week.

Thirty-seven attorneys general from across the country have now called on Congress to defeat this bill because it will “strip state governments of the ability to protect their residents through state laws and regulations relating to the safety of food and food packaging.” (pdf)

Thank you for already writing to your representative. Now we need you to do more to keep up the pressure. Please CALL your member of Congress today and remind them of the importance of this vote! We have already heard encouraging feedback from our activists that some representatives are starting to rethink their position on this bill.

Click here to see if your member of Congress is a cosponsor of this bill.

Talking points

Please use the following points when making your call, but use your own words as much as possible. Be polite and concise.

• My name is Ian Wilder and I am a voter in Representative King’s district. My address is ______________.
   
• If your representative is a cosponsor:
  I am calling to urge Representative King to immediately withdraw from being a cosponsor and vote no on H.R. 4167.
   
• If your representative is NOT a cosponsor:
  I am calling to urge Representative King to vote no on H.R. 4167.
   
• H.R. 4167 would undercut the role of state and local governments and reduce food safety laws to the federal government’s “uniform” lowest common denominator.
   
• According to a bipartisan group of 37 state attorneys general, the bill’s provision to allow states to petition for greater food safety standards is “slow, expensive, and uncertain, and certainly is no substitute for allowing states their traditional role of taking action on their own to protect consumers.”
   
• States and local governments have helped consumers like me by addressing gaps in federal standards, ensuring safer food and providing consumers with important label information.
   
• As a consumer, I want more information about the food I buy for myself and my family, not less.
   
• Please protect the health of my family and the safety of the food we eat by voting no on H.R. 4167.
   
• I will be closely watching the outcome of this vote.

Please email us to let us know what response you received.

Filed under: activism, US Politics Tagged: | Uncategorized