Agri-Pulse Daybreak for July 6, 2016
WASHINGTON, July 6, 2016 - The U.S. Senate today will decide
the fate of its landmark biotech disclosure bill. An aide to Senate Agriculture
Chairman Pat Roberts says he’s “cautiously optimistic” that the legislation
will get the 60 votes needed on a critical cloture motion this afternoon to
limit debate on the bill.
A procedural vote last week to bring up the legislation had
68 votes, although one of the Republicans who supported that motion, Ben Sasse
of Nebraska, told a home-state newspaper that he actually opposes the
bill.
The cloture motion would allow as many as 30 hours of
additional debate on the bill, but industry groups are keeping their fingers
crossed that the Senate can take a final vote before the weekend. That would
send the bill over to the House for its final OK. An aide to House Agriculture
Chairman Mike Conaway says he will wait until the Senate acts on the
legislation before he takes a position on what the House should do with
it.
Survey raises alarm on labeling impact. Just ahead of
today’s vote, industry groups released results of an online survey that underscored concerns that on-pack GMO labeling
could scare away consumers. Three-quarters of the consumers surveyed indicate
that Vermont’s GMO labeling language would make them less likely buy the
product.
If the Senate bill becomes law, most companies are expected
to use digital disclosure for biotech ingredients rather than the on-pack
labeling now required by Vermont.
About one-third of those surveyed believe that a GMO label
means that the biotech food is less safe. Nearly 30 percent say the label
indicates GMOs aren’t as healthful as other foods. In another bothersome
finding for the industry, 52 percent of the respondents view the genetic
engineering of crops as negative. Just 22 percent of those surveyed have a
positive view of agricultural biotechnology.
The survey was conducted June 13-21 by the MSR Group.
Chamber key votes GMO bill. The U.S. Chamber of
Commerce has advised Senate offices that the today’s biotech vote will be a key
vote in its ratings. In a letter to
senators, the Chamber’s executive vice president for government affairs, Bruce
Josten, says the legislation “represents a strong bipartisan effort to prevent
increased costs and the chaos that would result” from state labeling
regulations.
For more on the GMO bill and the state of play in Congress,
check out this week’s Agri-Pulse newsletter.
Trump back on the Hill Thursday. Donald Trump will be
back on Capitol Hill on Thursday and is expected to meet with much of the House
Republican conference this time. Previously, he met with the House GOP
leadership. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., says it will be an
opportunity for Republicans to raise the concerns they have with the
presumptive GOP nominee.
Republicans also are expected to push Trump to support the
GOP campaign agenda, called “A Better Way.” The agenda includes proposals to
reign in environmental regulations and to reform food stamps and other
anti-poverty programs.
Sanders pressing party to disavow TPP. Bernie Sanders
is making a last-ditch effort to get Democrats to go on record opposing a vote
on the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The campaign sent out an alert warning that
Friday is the last chance to change the draft platform. Sanders wants to get
this sentence included
in the platform: “It is the policy of the Democratic Party that the
Trans-Pacific Partnership should not get a vote in the lame duck session of
Congress and beyond.”
The current trade language in the platform says
there is a “diversity of views” within the party on the TPP. “All
Democrats believe that any trade agreement must protect workers and the
environment and not undermine access to critically-needed prescription drugs.”
By the way, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, a TPP
supporter, won’t be addressing the Democratic convention - unless Hillary
Clinton picks him as her running mate. President Obama has reportedly told cabinet members that they cannot speak at the convention.
EPA giving more time for atrazine comments. The
Environmental Protection Agency is extending by two months the comment period
on draft ecological risk assessments the agency prepared on the effects of
atrazine, simazine and propazine. The new comment period will end Oct. 4.
The agency says it received a number of extension requests
from different stockholders who cited among other things the difficulty of
filing comments during the growing season. The draft assessment for atrazine
found the widely used weedkiller in watersheds at levels well above those
expected to cause adverse effects to amphibians and other aquatic life.
They said it. “Biotechnology is the future of food,
agriculture, and medicine, and it is a cornerstone of domestic investment and
innovation.” - the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Steve Davies contributed to this report.
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