Congress is considering a sneaky, pro-GMO rider to a funding bill, and it may become law without anyone realizing it—unless you take action NOW!
The biotech industry has managed to insert a dangerous rider in support of genetically engineered crops into the FY 2013 Agriculture Appropriations bill. It is scheduled to be heard by the House Appropriations Committee tomorrow, Tuesday, June 19, so we need you all to contact the committee immediately and voice your opposition! This is why we are taking the extraordinary step of sending out this newsletter a day early, to give you time to send in your message right away.
The provision would strip federal courts of the authority to halt the sale and planting of illegal, potentially hazardous genetically engineered (GE) crops while USDA is assessing those potential hazards. In other words, even if a court said to halt the sale and planting of the genetically engineered crop until a USDA environmental impact statement was completed, the crop planting could still go forward!
Further, the provision would compel USDA to allow continued planting of that same crop upon request, even if USDA finds that the crop poses previously unrecognized risks. That’s right—the provision specifically mandates that the Secretary of Agriculture shall, upon request by a farm operator or producer, immediately grant a temporary permit authorizing the crops to continue being planted or cultivated, even if a court has called a halt until an Environmental Impact Statement is completed. They’re calling it the Farmer Assurance Provision (Section 733), but far from safeguarding farmers, the only parties whose interests are “assured” by this rider are those of GE crop developers.
This rider is almost certainly a response to the recent federal court interventions we’ve been telling you about, preventing the sale, distribution, or cultivation of non-regulated GE sugarbeets and GE alfalfa while full environmental evaluations are being done.
Environmental Impact Statements take years to complete and are an important method to slow—and perhaps even prevent—the planting of these dangerous crops. The provision is terrible for many reasons:
- This is an appropriations bill, and this rider has nothing to do with appropriations. This is an attempt to sneak an unrelated provision into a must-pass bill in the hope that it won’t be noticed. While we believe the entire provision is a dangerous one, at minimum it should have been presented in a bill of its own, to give it the full public exposure such a controversial subject deserves. We suspect the reason it wasn’t done this way is because it could never pass on its own—and they know that!
- The provision circumvents the judicial process. In several recent lawsuits, federal courts have ruled for farmers, businesses, and public interest plaintiffs, finding that USDA had violated federal law by failing to adequately consider the potential harms of GE crops it had approved. This rider is specifically intended to prohibit courts from imposing such reasonable restrictions in the event of similar cases in the future, undermining judicial authority in the interests of maximizing biotech industry seed sales. This outlandish provision would prevent a court from putting in place court-ordered restrictions, even if the approval were fraudulent or involved bribery. Congress should be supportive of an independent judiciary that is able to evaluate issues that affect the public and put the legal brakes on fraud and abuse.
- It could cause substantial harm to farmers—not to mention the agricultural economy. The provision would allow non-GE crops to be contaminated by neighboring GE crops, without proper environmental studies being performed. Seeds, crops, and foods that are contaminated with GE material cannot be sold in many international markets. Agricultural commodities contaminated by GE crops that have not been approved for commercial use in the US are particularly shunned.
The USDA already rubber stamps the approval and deregulation of GE crops. This rider, by law, provides USDA with even greater authority to continue to do so, no matter what the courts say.
The Ag Appropriations bill will be heard in the full committee tomorrow morning (Tuesday), and we hope that your messages will be enough to make them strike this dangerous provision from the bill. After the committee hearing tomorrow, the next step is for the bill to go to the floor, where we will have another opportunity to stop them, if necessary—but it would be much harder then!
Please contact the members of the House Appropriations Committee and oppose the rider TODAY—there’s not a moment to lose!
Dont let ’em get away with it!
Obviosly our leaders in Washington think a lot more of easy money than they do their constituents .
why on earth do you want to do this to us, our children, our planet?
please put the reins on your greed!
No GMO because it is unhealthy and deadly to those who eat it over time. GMO needs to be banned from all food, health, and beauty aids, including RX’s. GMO is also deadly because it contains secret allergen ingredients along with neurotoxins that will destroy needlessly those who come in contact with it.
At the very least we must protect our healthy foods from GMO contanination. For all we know they may be deadly dangerous to us and our planet.
Our healthy food must be protedted.
The bogus “Farmer Assurance Provision” (sec.733) is obviously one of those “stealth Riders” being added to a “must-pass” Agriculture appropriations bill. Please, challenge this! Thanks. ^..^
Stop this Bill Now. We are not interested in giving government agencies more power.
Don’t let yourself be duped.
This is an appropriations bill, and this rider has nothing to do with appropriations. This is an attempt to sneak an unrelated provision into a must-pass bill in the hope that it won’t be noticed. While we believe the entire provision is a dangerous one, at minimum it should have been presented in a bill of its own, to give it the full public exposure such a controversial subject deserves. We suspect the reason it wasn’t done this way is because it could never pass on its own—and they know that!
The provision circumvents the judicial process. In several recent lawsuits, federal courts have ruled for farmers, businesses, and public interest plaintiffs, finding that USDA had violated federal law by failing to adequately consider the potential harms of GE crops it had approved. This rider is specifically intended to prohibit courts from imposing such reasonable restrictions in the event of similar cases in the future, undermining judicial authority in the interests of maximizing biotech industry seed sales. This outlandish provision would prevent a court from putting in place court-ordered restrictions, even if the approval were fraudulent or involved bribery. Congress should be supportive of an independent judiciary that is able to evaluate issues that affect the public and put the legal brakes on fraud and abuse.
It could cause substantial harm to farmers—not to mention the agricultural economy. The provision would allow non-GE crops to be contaminated by neighboring GE crops, without proper environmental studies being performed. Seeds, crops, and foods that are contaminated with GE material cannot be sold in many international markets. Agricultural commodities contaminated by GE crops that have not been approved for commercial use in the US are particularly shunned.
As genetically engineered (GE) crops have not been around long enough to assess the possible dangerous side effects, this rider to bill FY 2013 Agriculture Appropriations bill has to be removed and the Biotech companies must be banned from ever attempting to do this again.
Genetic engineering is too new to allow any GMO or GE foods to be allowed to market until they have been tested for 20 years.
The provision that would strip federal courts of the authority to halt the sale and planting of illegal, potentially hazardous genetically engineered (GE) crops while USDA is assessing those potential hazards is both illegal and a danger to the public health.
Science is not always right or necessary to improve the quality of life.
I am opposed to the approving of this bill
The USDA cannot bypass the judicial process. The USDA is not above the law, and neither are you. You do not have the authority to artificially create the authority for yourselves or any other institution that they may stand outside the system of checks and balances instituted by OUR Constitution. Making laws against our Constitution is the highest Treason.
We can do what we can, however, the FDA, Monsanto, and corrupt congress members and member of parliament are about to be arrested and removed from power. Any bills already passed that are counter to the original U.S. Constitution will be stricken.
Corrupt individuals in positions of power will be replaced by honest individuals who answer to the people and everything will be transparent, as it always should have been.
Some arrests have already been made, others are about to be carried out. All toxins, GMOs, etc. will be removed from the planet.
You can learn more about these initiatives that are not yet in the mass media from my blog. Very shortly you will be hearing about the members of the cabal arrested, they will go on the media and confess to what they’ve done. Finally…
I’m so tired of the backhanded politics …… What don’t you understand about us not wantIng you to cave and sell yourselves to Monsanto and the other chemical companies. If you don’t care what you and your family eats…. I DO And I don’t want their genetically modified crap for my family and myself.
I’m so tired of the backhanded politics In Washington…… What don’t you understand about us not wantIng you to cave and sell yourselves to Monsanto and the other chemical companies. If you don’t care what you and your family eats…. I DO And I don’t want their genetically modified crops/seeds for my family and myself.
Please do not allow this to pass and become a law. Any negative impact can never be
reversed once GMO crops are planted. With this kind of impact on our world we need to
be very cautious. Allergies are on the rise and how much of it is due to GMO crops
needs to be studied. Thank you.
Please don’t allow the contamination of the organic food some of us eat. In general the US needs to
improve the safety of their produce.
It is important, that since we don’t know the long term affects if GE crops, that proper precautions be required to insure that GE crops can’t contaminate non-GE crops.
When the Bolsheviks and Ccommunists wanted to take the land from the Ukrainien farmers they starved them to death and it looks like we have something similar going on in this country to get rid of the small farmer and keep them from making a decent living Today the new communists are big businesses ruthless and distructive to all people, grabbing power by making a lot of money so they can buy any politician they need to do their bidding. They need to be stopped.
Dorothea
I oppose the inclusion of a provision to circumvent the judicial process with respect to geneticly modified crops in an appropriations bill. This contriversial subject need open debate, not snecky inclusion in a must pass bill
The provision would strip federal courts of the authority to halt the sale and planting of illegal, potentially hazardous genetically engineered (GE) crops while USDA is assessing those potential hazards. In other words, even if a court said to halt the sale and planting of the genetically engineered crop until a USDA environmental impact statement was completed, the crop planting could still go forward!
I DO NOT want Genetically Modified Foods. I do not want my government funding them or allowing them to be slipped quietly into our food source. I do not want GMO seeds and I most certainly do not want these companies like Monsamto to have the carte blanche that they are being given.
I just want to say that if we just pay no attention to the small details in US politics then only a hurrican of unknown porportion will over take every one. All because we all didnt take the time or the concern to watch who was coming over the wall. Big Pharma wants to dominate as well as the Big Ag companies. Control for our lives and for our freedom are the main goal and the thru Food, Drugs, Politics and economics These siblings of the same family are focued on their agenda.
Make no mistake we are at war. Nonviolent yes but nevertheless poised to exterminate our freedom amd liberties. America Wake Up!!!!!!! Stop pretending its not happening!!!!!!!
Dear Congress,
Do not support genetically altered food or crops. The results can not be reversed once they are in place since the alterations will affect all crops and the impact will also affect people ingesting those products. Also supporting companies that want complete control over all crops once they have been genetically modified and by their modification force farmers to from then on buy seeds from companies like Monsanto does not allow the farmer any option or the consumer an option.
Sincerely,
Velma Conte
Dear Sirs,
Do the homeland a favor by stripping the Farmer Assurance Provision (Section 733) from the 2013 Agriculture Appropriations bill as it has no place in an appropriations bill. The provision is supposedly meant to protect farmers from harm by our courts.
You ought to know, as I know, that far from safeguarding farmers, the provision would strip federal courts of the authority to halt the sale and planting of illegal, potentially hazardous genetically engineered (GE) crops while USDA is assessing those potential hazards.
If you go along with this abuse of the legislative process, you would have betrayed the trust of the American public who are not paying attention to this issue because they expect you to. Your attention is being directed to this matter so that you can take notice and do the right thing.
Thank you for your honorable service to your country.
I and most Americans are not in favor of GMO foods, mosquitos or any other form of changing of our natural food, air, land, water or insects, especially when it is done behind our backs, without disclosures and, you would think, of course, without federal testing as to whether these products are safe for existing humans, animals, insects, our environment and our future generations! Profit should never come before safety of our planet or anything living on it! We have to get the culprits who are are trying to sneak these dangerous riders and bills through, out of Congress and out of politics!
Enough is Enough! The United States needs to catch up to the rest of the world and quit destroying our Natural food supply by adding toxic GMOs.
Please don’t let this go through. Enough of engineered food. We are a sick nation and this is not going to make us any healthier.
Too, too many people are becoming allergic to all kinds of foodstuffs, mainly those GMO products; even “natural crops” get contaminated by the wind and birds with the products..Those 2 items have not the knowledge to distinguish between “treated” and “untreated”.
Please do not give the GMO companies care blanche to continue poisoning citizens, the young as well as the old.
When will the human being be taken into consideration and not only the corporations who are interested only in their profits but not in the health of the human being. As a government entity it is your sole and absolute duty to be the guardian of the citizens in an informed and independent manner and not as part of the pay off of these corporations. ENOUGH!
I’m ashamed that our country allows GMO
The FY 2013 Agriculture Appropriations Bill , if passed, would once again be a travesty. Allowing GE crops to be continually planted while testing to see if there are negative effects is totally ridiculous. Europe grows all their vegetables organically and dont want to buy anything from the US that has been GE. Please, Please think of our future generations and the small farmer who is trying to grow organically. We need to get back to letting the earth grow, naturally , the foods that we are putting into our precious bodies.Let us look to preventing disease not creating it for the sake of making institutions and the pharmaceutical and medical community richer by the day. Please reconsider, do not pass this bill.
Very Sincerely
Julie Anduze,RN
Keep food related items natural and organic to protect alll of us.
Stop genetically engineer foods from endangering lives. Our health is at stake. soon all illnesses will be immune to our antibiotics thanks to these foods.. You are either for the people or not foods.. Citizens are watching our government to see if you care r not.
This is a prime example of sneaky underhanded politics, to shoehorn the GMO rider under our noses. I’m very unhappy to see this happening.
Please do not allow this rider in the “appropriations” Bill. This issue is an Agricultural one and unrelated to appropriations .
I don’t want my food tampered with in any shape or form! I adamantly oppose the sneaking in of this bill!
I do not support discussion on genetically engineered in the FY 2013 Agriculture Appropriations bill. No GM crops — full stop!!!
I do not support genetically engineered crops being legally immune to Federal American Court intervention — the FY 2013 Agriculture Appropriations bill and the Farmer Assurance Provision (Section 733) is nothing but a free reign for anti-science biotech industry to control and ignore government ensuring public health. No GM crops to be grown without full medico-legal environmental evaluations — full stop!
Lets stop experimenting with our health and forego corporate greed. Let’s make our food fit for human consumption, please!
I’m sure that you are intelligent enough to realize that this bill could potentially harm the people who buy unapproved or contaminated crops and the farmers who would not be able to sell those crops on the international market and perhaps even the domestic market, leaving the agricultural market in a shambles. And, the only parties benefiting would be your friends who sell the seeds and yourselves, who are quite possibly also receiving a dollar or two. History will not be kind.
My Rep’s office would not accept this email becaus of their security “Puzzle” doesn’t work. No surprise considering it’s Darrel Issa.
There is little to add to the above writing. Our protective agencies do not protect but, follow the
greased money slide to greed under corporate /industry influence; the people’s needs have no priority.
If you are reading this you are aware of the dangers of GMO. What is better than letters to our congressman, who for all practical purposes most do not give a damn. We the people have the power by voting with our dollars do not buy foods that contain GMO products. This site has a free downloadable brochure listing most of the products that have GMO products in them,
Please don’t let become pro-GMO rider have a funding bill, and it may become law without anyone realizing it..this is wrong and will make people sick. All the people of The Land of the FREE need is more disease and illness. When people get sick..there are more on disability and their aren’t enough Doctors that even know how to treat them.
Forgot the site link
http://responsibletechnology.org/resources/download-brochures
Keep the food chain pure…no GMO’s
no gmo
I am against the contamination, and destruction of our healthy foods and crops.
From what I have read, GE crops can cause kidney, heart, and liver damage. I even read where experiments have shown that GE crops can cause sterility. It has even been suggested the bee problems are a result of the pesticides and herbicides put into crops. The proposed increase in crop yield has been shown not to happen and it is even affecting our precious soils.It is a sneaky way to raise the price of seeds. STOP THE INSANITY !! Stop all GMOs before it is too late.
Please let’s be on the same holy page with god and keep food safe and natural .
The biotech industry has managed to insert a dangerous rider in support of genetically engineered crops into the FY 2013 Agriculture Appropriations bill. It is scheduled to be heard by the House Appropriations Committee tomorrow, Tuesday, June 19. Please vote against this rider.
The provision would strip federal courts of the authority to halt the sale and planting of illegal, potentially hazardous genetically engineered (GE) crops while USDA is assessing those potential hazards. In other words, even if a court said to halt the sale and planting of the genetically engineered crop until a USDA environmental impact statement was completed, the crop planting could still go forward!
Further, the provision would compel USDA to allow continued planting of that same crop upon request, even if USDA finds that the crop poses previously unrecognized risks. That’s right—the provision specifically mandates that the Secretary of Agriculture shall, upon request by a farm operator or producer, immediately grant a temporary permit authorizing the crops to continue being planted or cultivated, even if a court has called a halt until an Environmental Impact Statement is completed. They’re calling it the Farmer Assurance Provision (Section 733), but far from safeguarding farmers, the only parties whose interests are “assured” by this rider are those of GE crop developers.
Thank you for your consideration.
No GMO organisms have been adequately tested and proved safe to release into the environment. Once this ferocious genie is out of the bottle, there’s no turning back. Please oppose the pro-GMO rider for the FY 2013 Agricultural Appropriations bill.
GMO’s are not superior – they’re simply patent-able. Profits for the very few is not adequate reason to foist this unwanted technology on the rest of us, or the world.
That is only the beginning of the dangers we face from the GMO issue.
A. the soil become saturated the pesticides in use. which now include
2-4D Agent Orange and Roundup.
B. the use of Human DNA in plants, this could be some person’s leg or eye balll.
C. Fish DNA
D. Peanuts
F Pig DNA
G. The farmer when he wants to return to the old ways can not as the soil
damages the plants
H. The creation of Super Weeds which are requiring the ever stronger chemicals to
suppress.This is a fact documented here in Calif. Dept or Agr.
i the infant in the womb must have certain amino Acids at specific time or hormons
which change the sex of the unborn child or… suppress male scrotal development.
This includes the pesticides babies are fragile
J test everything twice and three times.
Oh, my God!
Another assault on our foods. We are being bombarded with these.
People really need to WAKE UP! NOW!! Stop this idiocy.
I say STOP THIS BILL!
Please stop this bill.
I am opposed to this.
I strongly oppose the rider
This is outright deception and should not be allowed!
This “rider” is anti-economic, unethical to the max, and out of context for the bill. I get that much “legislation” is sneaked in in this mannter, as few even read the bills before them. But I had to register again with you that there is no future in GMO. NO FUTURE – IS THAT YOUR PLAN????
It makes no sense to allow genetic alteration of seeds until safety testing has been completed. neither food nor medicine can be sold until safety is proved. why should seeds be anydifferent. do not pass this rider.
Always label GMO. Consumers have a right to know.
To strip the judiciary of its power as a check and balance against run-away government power, is an act of dictatorship.
Thank you Coalmine Canary for bringing up such an important truth. Dictators have always had big money industry put them into power. Monsanto and other bio-ag groups that want to monopolize all seeds and control food have no good intention other than self serving profits and self aggrandizing power. There are dozens of Monsanto alumni that have or do hold government positions. If this is not a conflict of interest I don’t what is. Here are a few names of well know politicians that have represented or worked for Monsanto; David Beier, William Conlon, Sam Skinner, Robert Fraley, Michael Friedman, John L. Henshaw, Rob Horsch, Gwenda King, R. Mahoney, Margaret Miller, Anne Veneman, Mark Watson, Waxman, Virginia Weldon, Rufus Yerxa, Toby Moffett, Dennis DeConcini, Josh King, Lidia Walrud, Roger Beachy and of course not to be forgotten, Hillary Clinton. Oh these are just a few. Folks, congress, the senate, the high court, the president…. not one of these people give a crap if you eat toxic food or not.Obviously. We have been doing it for years in spite of our protests to GMO. Its all about power, control and money. It is not about democracy. There is no democracy in this issue and can not be when there is this kind of corruption in Washington. If you want to truly make a difference, you must withhold what is important to these people. Your vote and your money. Every dollar you spend with a company or organization that supports or sells GMO foods in any way, supports Monsanto and the corrupt group of politicians that have sold the health of the citizens of the United States of America down the river. These vampires have no concern if we are dying in record numbers from legal toxic foods or bad FDA approved drugs. They will keep bleeding us and sucking the life blood from us as long as we continue to let them. Know where your money is going. Know who you are supporting. Money is their life blood, we must stop feeding them if we are to make a change that matters! No country would make saving seeds from food a crime. Yes, check that one out. Rachel Carson was called an alarmist in her day. Now she is a hero. She saw the path we were on and bravely and boldly spoke out and committed her life to standing against the chemical giants that have poisoned our planet way back in the 1950’s before she died of cancer. This has been going on for a long time. Please stand up, please don’t be complacent! Your life and your children’s life depend…
STOP> I OPPOSE THE RIDER!
Please protect the American public and keep out food supply safe and pure. It is time to get the chemical industry out of our food and out of our bodies.
Since we the people are purchasing and eating.. with trust.. the crops and food goods that we do, we have every single human right to know what labs and scientists are doing behind the scenes to the things we eat. Granted, most of us has chosen the road of growing our own organic fruit and vegetable crops.. because of the conglomerate-GMO push..If its such a good thing.. which it ISNT.. to genetically modify natural, organic structure.. then why are people, yes us! against it.. You wouldnt be hiding it from us.. We dont like it.. Keep nature pure.. Love, Jess J.
Enough is enough!!! You scumbags in congress would sell your own mother down the river for these industries. You don’t care about the health of the people you swore to serve You should all rot in hell!!
Thank you Robert!
Do not allow this rider!! We demand stricter regulation of the foods we consume!
Please don’t take away our choices about what we eat. We are not put here as vehicles for
exploitation. Please do not let this rider pass.
Respectfully,
Mouna Wilson
It is hard to believe that our own Government takes such a laxidasial approach to such an important topic. I am really concerned about the ethical and moral disregard for the heath and well being for the citizens of the U.S. It seems that with the stand that other countries have taken on the GMO subject that our regulators would naturally want this reviewed. Unless there are underlying circumstances that would justify there turning a Blind Eye on their responsibility to do the right thing ( The Job they were elected to do )
We have too much government intervention and not enough freedom of information for foods, drugs, supplements. Lets keep our country free from dictatorshhip.
Too late, people should have started “screaming” foul, along time ago!!
No actually we don’t have enough government intervention and too much intervention from these giant global corporations, Syngenta, Bayer, Monsanto just to name a few.
i oppose the rider to FY2013 Agriculture Appropriations Bill. No Monsanto food. It is harmful to all of us. We have the right to know what is in our food. No contamination. Stop this rider!
why would anyone want to plant something that is poison to humans and that he also has to eat too? if it’s bad for human consumption why are they allowed to plant such a dangerous (I hate to call this food because it isn’t food) plant to consume as food. Are the farmers anad Monsanto people eating this food? too? or do they have GMO free gardens?
google Agenda 21
No, they are not eating this crap. It has been shown that in the seed bank Monsanto has zero GMO seeds stored. It is all a plan to kill off the majority of those on earth as part of the New World Order. Yes, I admit I at first thought this sounded a little too crazy but when you really start studying and piecing it all together it is just part of a bigger plan.
I’ve often wondered that myself, Dodie. Do they partake in their own poison??? I think not, if you ask me. It’s a sick crime and if it were a bunch of backyard punks doing this, they would certainly be arrested but because these are the agricultural giants of the world, the USDA and FDA turn the other cheek. They also feed the already overly fat wallets of the medical institutions and it’s they evilest scheme of greed ever played at risk of planet Earth and its sentients. These demons must be stopped!
No, they aren’t eating it. They eat USDA Certified Organic only. Check out info on http://prepperbroadcasting.com/ there are older broadcasts you can listen to with information on this.
Actually, I’ve read that GMO foods are not allowed at Monsanto headquarters. The more you know about GMO food this less inclined you are to eat it! Why would Monsanto corrupt the food supply, money and power. GMO crops give them control of the world food supply.
It is amazing to me how much emphasis has been put on foreign marine life drifting over with the debris from Japan and how harmful these unnative species are to our environment, but yet our government will poison our crops as they have many other foods already. I am a 4 time cancer survivor who has to watch everything I eat because of added hormones, tec. Half the time, I do not believe the labels and many are not even marked.
Our government is out of control!
Of course the FDA and congress will poison us if the price is right. 9 percent approval rate for congress, these supposed elected officials have put the law up for sale and guess what, monsanto has the money to buy the vote. If there is a shred of dignity, a shred of integrity, a hint of honor left in congress they will not let this pass, however dignity, integrity, and honor don’t pay millions in lobby money. It is a broken system, if we don’t change the system, we will be doing this every few weeks when a eugenics mega corporation(monsanto) lobbies to send in the poison right through the back door.