Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today in support of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. I commend Senator Durbin, Senator Harkin, and the many other Senators who have worked so hard for so long on this important legislation. It is long past time that we make improvements to our food safety procedures in the United States, and we can see by the diversity of interests that have come together to support this bill from industry to farm to consumer groups that the time to address this issue is now. Like so many Rhode Islanders, I have been appalled by the stories of deaths and serious illnesses from seemingly benign foods such as peanut butter and spinach. These are foods we bring into our homes, expecting them to nourish our families. We shouldn't have to worry that they might make our children sick. American families need to know that their government is protecting the food supply. This bill goes a long way toward improving the Food and Drug Administration's food inspection and recall system. First, the bill improves our ability to prevent food safety emergencies through better record keeping, hazard analysis, controls, and food safety plans. These standards are also applied to imported foods, which is increasingly important in our global economy. Second, FDA's ability to react to foodborne illness outbreaks is significantly enhanced by increasing inspection and surveillance, making food more traceable in order to more quickly pinpoint the source of an outbreak.…”