Debbie Dingell: “this is quite a historic moment, for today we consider in the House a piece of legislation that literally has been…”

“this is quite a historic moment, for today we consider in the House a piece of legislation that literally has been pending before Congress for over a decade. This bill overhauls the way the Government regulates pesticides, and at long last deals with the thorny issue of differing standards for different kinds of food products, and with the scientifically outdated application of the Delaney clause. It is an amazing compromise that has been reached, which has brought together some of the most staunch and bitter rivals in this debate-- consumer and environmental groups, the food industry, American agriculture, and the Federal Government agencies who oversee pesticide use and safety--the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration. This bill represents the product of that successful negotiation. It meets the need of the agriculture and food industries for proper, consistent regulation of pesticides, without arbitrary standards such as the outdated and inappropriate Delaney clause. In accomplishing that goal, the bill delicately strikes the essential balance between this legitimate need and consumer desire to continue the already high level of safety of American food. Specifically, the legislation adopts the widely held view that special attention must be paid to dietary habits and health needs of special populations, such as children.”