Political Quotes

“I rise in support of the Blunt amendment. At first glance, the United States-European Union Consultative Forum on Biotechnology appears to be a step toward opening Europe's doors to our ag biotech products. When you look again, you start to wonder what the purpose of this group may actually be. The U.S. Trade Representative has no press release on the formation of the Consultative Forum; I've only seen news clippings. My staff has contacted the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative for information, but received no call back. If the Consultative Forum is so significant, you would think that information on it would be made readily available. I see no reason why such an organization should be funded by the U.S. Congress if we neither know the purpose nor the possible outcome of negotiations. Currently, there are over 30 organizations looking into the different issues surrounding biotechnology. Will this 'Forum' be anything different than the others? I don't think so. The U.S. Government must have some agreement by the E.U. to restart its approval process before we move forward with another 'Forum' on this issue. It cannot be yet another excuse to avoid action. This amendment should be adopted to ensure the adequate and effective protection of our U.S. agricultural goods produced through biotechnology.”