Help us put an end to this underhanded end-run around the courts once and for all. Urgent Action Alert!
As you know, last March, what the world has been calling the “Monsanto Protection Act” was inserted at the last minute into a “must-pass” funding bill to keep the government running through the use of a congressional tool known as a Continuing Resolution (CR). The so-called Farmer Assurance Provision—misnamed because, frankly, the only ones who are assured about anything are GMO manufacturers like Monsanto—actually strips federal courts of the authority to halt the sale and planting of potentially hazardous genetically engineered crops while USDA is performing an environmental impact statement. It’s a huge blow to the justice system, completely overriding judicial safeguards that protect both farmers and the public.
The emergency funding period (and with it, this sneak provision) ends September 30, but since Congress has been unable to pass their appropriations bills, they will try to extend the CR as another stop-gap to prevent total government shutdown. Not surprisingly, the same noxious language has already appeared in the House Appropriations CR that was nearly voted upon last week! However, because it’s so controversial and Congress is afraid of citizen backlash, that bill is still sitting in the House—just waiting for the right opportunity to be pushed through.
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement last spring after an outpouring of media and grassroots outrage over the Monsanto Protection Act:
Senator Mikulski understands the anger over this provision. She didn’t put the language in the bill and doesn’t support it either….
As Chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Mikulski’s first responsibility was to prevent a government shutdown. That meant she had to compromise on many of her own priorities to get a bill through the Senate that the House would pass. She will continue to fight for a regular and timely Appropriations process and other valuable priorities, including food safety.
You’d think that kind of promise would hold some weight. So you can imagine our disappointment to hear a spokeswoman for the House Appropriations Committee say that they don’t expect the Senate to balk at the inclusion of the Monsanto provision. “We have received no indication that this is a concern,” she said. “It’s a very traditional [continuing resolution] in every sense of the word. It simply continues existing law. Anything that was enacted in FY13 continues to be enacted.” While Sen. Mikulski doesn’t have any power over what the House puts in its CR, she has stated on the record that she does not support the Monsanto Protection Act. So why hasn’t she moved against it?
After it passed the first time, there was a media firestorm over the Monsanto Protection Act, and millions of emails were sent to Congress from American citizens—with opposition from conservative Tea Party groups to liberal organizations and everything in between. The outrage was so strident that even the Senate Appropriations Committee apologized for its inclusion.
Why is this so important? This legislation is not only an end-run around the courts. It also allows industrial farming corporations to use GMO seeds without concern for small organic farmers operating nearby. The potential for cross-contamination of organic crops by GE crops is enormous. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that a field in Washington is being tested for GE contamination after a farmer who grew alfalfa found that it may have been contaminated with mislabeled seeds. And earlier this year, non-approved GM wheat was discovered in an Oregon field. Japan and South Korea have refused to import our wheat because of GMO contamination.
Urgent Action Alert! Tell Congress to oppose the Monsanto Protection Act, no matter what bill it’s in! Warn them that if they don’t, they’ll have a media and grassroots firestorm on their hands once again.
It is outrageous to give a corporation this kind of free pass. Please honor the wishes of your constituents and pull this despicable bill out of any piece of legislature.
Why anyone would want to protect Monsanto is beyond me! The poison our crops with GMO that our bodies can’t work with, they blame other farmers when their seeds blow into the other farmer’s fields, they bully my government, and they produce nothing but GARBAGE! WE are the ones that need protection from Monsanto!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Monsanto should be convicted for crimes against humanity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
facebook is not allowing this to go out. I just tried to share something else and it was not working while several others had the same complaint. Not this will not go out either. It seems to be FB is the problem.
Please protect my kids from these very evil people…..
Save our environment, please!
stop Monsanto from poisoning our Planet
Kill Monsanto NOW!
No to Monsanto on every front.
i am opposed to the MONSANTO PROTECTION ACT.
Monsanto knows they have broken many laws and want us to forgive them without knowing what it is.
Monsanto must be stopped!
Stop poisoning America!
I was unable to send. Don’t know what I did wrong
I just heard that Satan thought about purchasing a large number of Monsanto stock; however, after at the last moment he decided against it since they far too evil for even him to support!
DO NOT let Monsanto off the hook! GMO foods are too great a risk, particularly since there has been NO long-term testing. Do NOT risk our planet’s food supply to pander to Monsanto. OPPOSE the Monsanto Protection Act no matter what bill it is in. GMO foods are too great a risk!
If the Congress is joined at-the-hip with Monsanto, how much longer can we tolerate this Government?
Enough already. Let sanity reign.
Monsanta should not receive Protection. The farmers that grow our food in a natural way should be protected. from Monsanta. Many people cannot eat wheat products because of the changes they made in wheat,corn and soy by Monsanta. It is too hard on our digestive system.
Monsanta should not receive Protection. The farmers that grow our food in a natural way should be protected. from Monsanta. Many people cannot eat wheat products because of the changes they made in wheat,corn and soy by Monsanta. It is too hard on our digestive system.
Monsanta should not receive Protection. The farmers that grow our food in a natural way should be protected. from Monsanta. Many people cannot eat wheat products because of the changes they made in wheat,corn and soy by Monsanta. It is too hard on our digestive system.
Monsanta should not receive Protection. The farmers that grow our food in a natural way should be protected. from Monsanta. Many people cannot eat wheat products because of the changes they made in wheat,corn and soy by Monsanta. It is too hard on our digestive system.
Monsanta should not receive Protection. The farmers that grow our food in a natural way should be protected. from Monsanta. Many people cannot eat wheat products because of the changes they made in wheat,corn and soy by Monsanta. It is too hard on our digestive system.
Please do not let this bill go through. The health of our children and grandchildren is at stake!
The Monsanto Protection provision is the most obtuse, suicidal grant of protection of a criminal enterprise I have ever seen. If GMO Food were given the same status of destructiveness of a controlled substance, the DEA would be making the CEO’s of Monsanto do a perp walk.
The GMO food issue allows pesticide to exist inside the cell walls of food, so that they cannot be washed off, and the environmental damage of using GMO seed is causing chaos with bees and other beneficial insects, so that other crops not even involved with Monsanto seeds are impacted since the pollen is toxic.
Monsanto is just a tropical hideout, and a CEO with a long haired cat and shark tank from being a Bond Villain since they are trying to create a food cartel that would hold the world hostage. Blofeld could not come up with a better plan.
Doesn’t the American Public have a voice anymore? Does it matter to anyone that we don’t want Monsanto or Bayer selling GMO anything? Why doesn’t the government hear us? After all it is us that is supposed to have the final word. We gave you that office to represent us. If you don’t represent us, why are you still there?
I am a senior citizen, who votes. I can remember when the FDA and my elected officials represented us, and believed you were there to protect us. What happened???
Monsanto is making us the sickest country in the world and I believe you know it. If I can find the research on the internet, so can you.
I am begging you to stop protecting Monsanto and other billionaire corporations and start protecting the people again. There are millions of us watching to see how you vote.
This legislation is not only an end-run around the courts. It also allows industrial farming corporations to use GMO seeds without concern for small organic farmers operating nearby. The potential for cross-contamination of organic crops by GE crops is enormous. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that a field in Washington is being tested for GE contamination after a farmer who grew alfalfa found that it may have been contaminated with mislabeled seeds. And earlier this year, non-approved GM wheat was discovered in an Oregon field. Japan and South Korea have refused to import our wheat because of GMO contamination.
On behalf of the American people and farmers of the U.S. I and we are requesting that Congress oppose the Monsanto Protection Act, no matter what bill it’s in! We respectively warn you that if you don’t, there’ll be a media and grassroots firestorm on their hands (once again).
The mere fact that it’s called “the Monsanto Protection Act” is a disgrace. Why isn’t there a bill to “Protect the American People and Farmers”
Why force the farmers to use only Monsanto seeds or have no alternate to purchase seeds and then have no recourse to sue if the seeds fail for some reason.
We are hearing a lot about children not passing tests in school and it seems to me that a large part of the problem is the absolutely harmful food they are being fed. GMO fed chicken, beef, and most awful of all the GMO modified corn syrup. Pure poisen.
Are you kidding me? We will never let this happen!!
When they succeed in subverting all our food into poison with your help,
laets see how long YOU last eating their blood money. It’ll poiison you too.
Wiser to stop their criminaly insane greed in it’s tracks before it’s past the
point of no return. Monsanto’s nightmare of world domination is even more
ambitious than Hitler’s.
GMO products are not the food my family needs. I need to be able to choose the food I eat, including if it is A GMO product. I do not eat wheat for this reason.
Oppose the monsanto protection act, no matter what bill its in. We should have the right to eat organic foods that have not been contaminated.
Stop killing us!!
Enough with this hidden GMO stuff. Americans have the right to know what their food is made of and we have the right to choose what we want to eat. In order to make the right choices we need to know everything about our food. If it were really safe you wouldn’t have to hide it from us. Stop the lies and deceipt and Congress don’t kid yourself we know that most of you are in it for the money and benefits you get from these companies like Monsanto who are out to poison America slowly but surely but so long as they keep the gifts coming you don’t care about the people who vote you in.
Our politicians can no longer pretend they don’t know this is in the bill. It needs to be eliminated!
OPPOSE the Monsanto Protection Act no matter what bill it is in – if not a firestorm will be on your hands again
I am a native Coloradoan who has to watch his diet very carefully due to numerous food allergies. I want the US congress to ignore the urgings of big corporations and oppose the Monsanto Protection act to protect the sanctity of this nation’s crops. Thank you.
This is criminal .
Stop poisoning our food supplies. Stop the GMOs contamination.
For God’s sake — and I mean that literally –keep Monsanto from doing further damage to our food supply.
please listen to us. you are feeding us and our children, we are ultimately feeding you, as well. thanksyou.
I deserve to know what is in the food I eat! This is one of the worst things my government is allowing to happen. Big corporation with all their money… & no thought for the citizens! Shame on Congress if it is allowed in!
I got sick the last time I ate corn thanks to what Monsanto keeps doing to our food supply. I can’t eat corn anymore becuase of those criminals.
Congress: Please, Please oppose the Monsanto Protection Act no matter what bill it’s in! We do not want to eat GMO foods and small farmers should be allowed the freedom to grow organic.
ATTENTION ALL LAW-MAKERS –
I do NOT agree with any GMOs and am fervently against Monsanto, Dow and all other companies of the same ilk using MY government to THEIR corporate benefit. You work for ME!!! And no, I’m sorry, I don’t have money or jets, or fancy vacation homes to bribe you with. The best I can do is offer you some hand-made truffles or some sort of hand-stitched scarf or sweater. 😀
What I really want to know is WHY so many third world countries have banned GMOs and Monsanto from using their GMOs in those countries.
PLEASE do NOT let yourselves be blinded by the lobbyists actions with you.
You work for US (as in the United States) not THEM (the 1%). If you continue not listening to us, you’re going to end up like the politicians in Iceland. Just sayin’.
No to Monsanto monopoly
HOW MANY TIMES, DO WE HAVE TO SAY: NO?
Delete the language from the Continuing Resolution pertaining to the Farmer Assurance Provision that gives Monsanto any kind of protection, subsidy or privilege. You legislators are a disgrace the way you blatantly shower corporations with numerous financial benefits while ignoring your constituents unless they have big $ to give you for their pet legislation. Your grand standing about the federal government budget, spending limits, etc. is obviously disingenuous since the House of Representatives and the Senate have exempted themselves from the crappy health insurance thrust in our face and the social security we are offered at retirement, you have voted yourselves financial benefits that thumb your nose at “the American people”. Do the right thing and delete the Monsanto Protection Act language.
Monsanto products are putting our food supply at risk. We simply cannot provide them with protection from legal action brought about by their greed, carelessness and horrible policies.
the take action page loads & then quickly goes to a Yahoo message that it can not load, even if I go there from gmail. What’s up?
I couldn’t access the petition!
No GMO, label them at least so consumers can choose. Genetically modified foods should be used on synthetic bodies, such as cars etc.. GMO should be used to make alternative fuels not for human consumption. No roundup in my wheat, corn, soy, papaya, Etc… Haven you made enough money? At what point do you stop and “read” your consumers feedback? Even farmers are suffering greatly from your monopoly… Farming is the job if bees, wishes you are killing by the millions. The only reason I can see for destroying all the bees is that you hope to extinct all bees so we have no choice but to buy your contaminated seeds. I would rather starve or move to a third world country that can’t afford your overpriced poison. Even the animals that are fed your grains look unhealthy as does the rest of the population in the u.s… Hope someone is reading this; if you have children, family, a heart.. Do something and make this madness stop. Thank you. Sincerely,
Monsanto has been around WAAAAY to long, guys. They helped develop the Manhattan Project. The best way to get rid of these cockroaches is by demanding a separation of corporation and state, the way we’re supposed to not have religion in the government. Demand corps stay out of government AND demand an apology, explanation for appoint Michael Taylor to the FDA, and a recall of Taylor from Obama. Then we can really lay some groundwork down to safer foods and a way of life.
Thank you, ANH-USA, for what you do. Keep up the good works.
Monsanto has poisoned our food supply and bankrupted farmers who fought them. It is time to stop GMO’s and/or label the food products clearly so the consumer can choose whether to buy the products or not.
I am having the same problem. When I click on the button “Take Action” the page comes up and then a second later it disappears with an error Yahoo page.
Is Yahoo censoring or is this a computer glitch I wonder?
click on the top tab under “take Action and be heard” tab skip the green toggle button at the bottom.
Read the food lables and don’t buy GMO infested substances.
I’ve tried to send by the “take action” link but Yahoo says something is wrong with the URL. Is this being done by Monsanto? Anyway, I’d like to respond.
Did you log in?
Seems like you must log in on more and more websites nowadays!
I feel that it is just another ploy to seek out any opposition.
I tried to respond to the action alert but was prevented from doing so. I went to the page but immediately was sent away from it to something at Yahoo that said:
Sorry, the page you requested was not found.
You likly can use the “Take Action!” button to join this effort by placing your cursor over the button, right-clicking, and selecting “Open Link in New Tab”. Then click on the new tab and enter your information so the letter can process.
— Owen
Thanks Owen, that worked for me.
And now they’re teamed up with Ted Talks to prevent speaking out against their garbage. If this isn’t opposed…I can’t even imagine such a thing. Ridiculous.
Gmo is obviously a no go… Time to take action