The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act introduced to this Congress by Representatives Mike Pompeo and G.K. Butterfield would ensure that the labeling of biotech ingredients of food products is based on consistent standards using sound…

Before the idea that the government at any level should step in and mandate that they be labeled borders on the absurd.

I asked Representative Kate Webb, the assistant majority leader in Vermont, that question. She said she agreed with it.

I do think it is important that for foods that are labeled non-GMO, that there is a Federal standard for that.

There would be hundreds of thousands of state laws still in effect. There just would be no ability for a state to have mandatory labeling.

Expanding government at any level to enshrine preferences into a costly legal requirement is bad policy.

In fact, Mr. Jaffe, a question to you. First of all, I want to say thank you. I have appreciated your counsel through this.

We need to ensure that our products are safe for consumers.

The issue I raised with Commissioner Adler, I think it was back in January of last year, dealt with the audible standard.

My understanding is there is no more clarity today for a person in the business of fireworks to know how to comply with the standard than there was when I raised this topic a year and a half ago.

I hope you will take into account the messages that Members of Congress deliver in these settings.

It did not seem quite as civil as you are seem to each other today. That was refreshing.

I'm worried about the interoperability, Mr. Chairman, that is required to meet the financial investment that these medical groups and hospitals are making.

Health IT is absolutely essential to improving the quality and value of care for patients.

Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I'm happy to be here to witness the first peaceful coup I've seen in a committee in a long time.

Many doctors have adopted it as technology, whether they wanted to or not, and are seeing benefits.

I appreciate the committee's commitment to oversight of our Federal investment in the electronic record system and continued work toward achieving the goal of interoperability.

A lot of our providers are really concerned about the number of quality measures they're required to report on.