Political Quotes

“I include for the Record a summary of a report we wrote on biotechnology in the Committee on Science called ``Seeds of Opportunity.'' The total report is available at: www.house.gov/nicksmith/opportunity.pdf. The report referred to is as follows: summary The Subcommittee on Basic Research of the Committee on Science held a series of three hearings entitled, ``Plant Genome Research: From the Lab to the Field to the Market: Parts I-III,'' to examine plant genomics, its application to commercially important crop plants, and the benefits, safety, and oversight of plant varieties produced using biotechnology. The testimony and other information presented at these hearings and information gathered at various briefings provides the basis for the findings and recommendations in this report. Almost without exception, the crop plants in use today have been genetically modified. The development of new plant varieties through selective breeding has been improving agriculture and food production for thousands of years. In the 19th century, the basic principles of heredity were discovered by Gregor Mendel, whose studies on inheritance in garden peas laid the foundation for the modern science of genetics.”