On the recordJuly 7, 2016
eventually this evening, we will be voting on GMO labeling. As I mentioned earlier, this is the most politically contentious and divisive issue I can ever remember. I have been in Congress for a few years. Whenever this comes up in our caucus, it is going to be a heated argument. It evokes so many emotions, not just among the members of our caucus but certainly with the American people. It gets down to some basic questions. If you are dealing with a food product that has bioengineered contents or genetically modified content, there are several questions we need to ask. The first question is, Should the consumer know this? Well, 92 percent of Americans believe, yes, they have a right to know if there is GMO content in the food they eat. That is what the polls show--92 percent. That is an overwhelming number when you have lived with polls as long as most of us have. Then you ask a question, delving into it: Is that because GMO modified food is dangerous to a consumer? I think the answer is very clear that the scientific analyses of GMO food have not reached that conclusion. They believe--the National Academy of Sciences and others--that GMO food by itself is not dangerous to consumers. That is the scientific evidence. Nevertheless, there is this strong public opinion that people want to know whether GMOs are part of the food that they are consuming. I have done some research on this, and I am sure every Member has tried to look at this very carefully.…
