Burn, Baucus Introduce COOL Legislation
BURNS, BAUCUS INTRODUCE COOL LEGISLATION
Hold Press Conference to Reinstate Mandatory Labeling Date of 2006
U.S. Senators Conrad Burns (R-MT) and Max Baucus (D-MT), incensed by recent legislation that would delay implementing a comprehensive Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) law, held a press conference today to introduce further legislation that will restore the deadline of September 30, 2006. Both Senators will make their comments from the press conference available today by satellite feed.
Burns said "As I've told my colleagues in the Senate, members of the USDA, the Chairman of the House Agricultural Appropriations Committee, and the White House, Montana's producers are not finished fighting for COOL and neither am I. I'm joined here today by a host of my fellow Senators to send the message that we're fed up with those who continue to deny the producers of America the label law that would support their business, increase our safety, and expedite the effort to open up greater global markets."
"It's time for Congress to heed the will of the people - producers and consumers in Montana and the rest of the country want COOL and it's time we make that happen," Baucus said. "Producers have waited far too long to promote their products as, Made in the U.S.A,' since the original COOL law was included in the 2002 farm bill. It's a disgrace that this program has been delayed, it's been far too long - it's just not right."
The country-of-origin law was passed as part of the 2002 Farm Bill, which Baucus, as a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, helped craft.
In addition to today's legislation, Burns recently fired a letter off to House Agriculture Appropriations Chairman Henry Bonilla (R-TX) about the actions of the Agriculture Appropriations Conference Committee. "I am not only angry, but ashamed of the actions that were taken to try to kill COOL. I worked to include COOL in 2002 farm bill, and this President signed it. Now some members of the Congress think they are above all of that and use devious methods to shut down something that is already law."
Burns and Baucus were joined by fellow Senators John Thune (R-SD), Kent Conrad (D-ND), Craig Thomas (R-WY), Michael Enzi (R-WY), Byron Dorgan (D-ND), and Tim Johnson (D-SD). Additional co-sponsors of the legislation include Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Tom Harkin (D-IA), and Robert Byrd (D-WV).
http://burns.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=1464&Month=11&Year=2005