GENETIC ENGINEERING ACTION ALERT: CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSMAN AND SENATORS TODAY!

national | miscellaneous | news report Saturday June 22, 2002 16:53 by Raymond McInerney - Global Country of World Peace raymond.mcinerney at ul dot ie 122 Vale Avenue, Carew Park, Limerick.

Tell your American Friends

At last! Congress is currently considering five new bills that would ensure proper labeling and regulation of genetically engineered foods. Please take action today to support the passage of this legislation—especially the Right to Know Act (H.R. 4814), which would guarantee labeling of all genetically engineered foods.

BACKGROUND
Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio)has recently introduced five bills in the U.S. House of Representatives that provide a comprehensive regulatory framework for all genetically engineered plants, animals, bacteria, and other organisms.

The five bills are

the Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act of 2002 (H.R. 4814)
the Genetically Engineered Food Safety Act of 2002 (H.R. 4813)
the Genetically Engineered Crop and Animal Farmer Protection Act of 2002 (H.R. 4812)
the Genetically Engineered Organism Liability Act of 2002 (H.R. 4816)
the Real Solutions to World Hunger Act of 2002 (H.R. 4815)
Together, these bills address most of the concerns about genetically engineered foods that different organisations have been voicing for the past decade. In short, these bills would

require food companies to label all foods containing ingredients from genetically engineered plants or animals;
improve the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) oversight and testing of transgenic foods;
better protect farmers and ranchers against powerful biotech companies and restore farmers' traditional right to save seed;
clarify and reform liability and other legal issues associated with genetically modified crops and foods; and
expand research to help developing nations better feed themselves.
To read more comprehensive summaries of these bills, please visit

http://www.house.gov/kucinich/action/summary.htm

Similar legislation will soon be introduced in the U.S. Senate.

The bills all have over 20 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives and have also been endorsed by the Sierra Club, National Farmers Organization, Center for Food Safety, Organic Trade Organization, and the American Corn Growers Association.

ACTION STEPS
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSMAN AND SENATORS TODAY TO SUPPORT THESE BILLS—especially H.R. 4814, the Right to Know Act, which will guarantee labeling of GE foods. And please encourage your family and friends to do the same.

BY EMAIL: To quickly identify—and email—your representatives, please visit

http://www.congress.org

You may also send your representatives an email supporting the Right to Know Act at

http://truefoodnow.org/bin/takeaction.fpl?action_id=128

BY LETTER: Letters are more effective than emails, and handwritten letters are the most effective of all. To download sample letters supporting the Right to Know Act that have been personalized for your representatives, please visit

http://www.thecampaign.org/congressletters.htm

and click on the name of your state.

BY PHONE: To contact your representatives by phone, just call the national Capitol switchboard at 1-202-225-3121 and ask to speak to your congressman and senators.

Thank you very much for your timely action on this important issue.