NATIONAL UNIFORMITY FOR FOOD ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - March 02, 2006)
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Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Chairman, the National Uniformity for Food Act would actually foster greater cooperation among the States and the Federal Government on an issue that I honestly believe is very important to every American family, and that is food safety. Consumers across the country deserve a single set of science-based food warning requirements, not the confusing patchwork that we have today.
I am a supporter of States' rights, and our friends across the aisle have not stood up for States' rights many times in the past, and I really don't think they are doing so today. They are standing up for what they love most, which is lots of government regulations.
The bill before us, the National Uniformity for Food Act, strikes an important balance between States' rights and Federal responsibility. The bill really enhances the model for a Federal-State regulatory cooperation that already occurs in many areas of food safety. The bill gives the FDA authority where it would have authority and should have authority, which is general and scientific oversight over packaged food safety.
It leaves to the States the fundamental tasks that are best handled at that level, ensuring proper sanitation and making sure that the manufacturing plants, refrigeration facilities, and food transportation all meet or exceed minimum standards.
I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of the bill.
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