Legislation by Blackmail? - Organic Consumers

Dear Organic Consumer,

According to reports, Monsanto has convinced Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) to push for a rider to the end-of-year appropriations bill. The rider would keep corporations from having to label GMOs.

We also learned today that the FDA has approved GMO salmon. Alaska is the only state that has a law in place to require labels on GMO salmon.

Sen. Stabenow’s rider probably won’t preempt labels on GMO salmon because it’s an animal, not a plant. But the rider will make it impossible for states or the FDA to require labels on foods containing GMOs derived from plants.

We will do everything in our power to stop this rider, or any last-ditch effort to stomp out GMO labeling laws. If we fail, we will ramp up the largest Big Food Boycott in history.

Please donate today to keep Monsanto and Sen. Debbie Stabenow from blackmailing Congress into taking away your right to GMO labels on your food, and to help us prepare a massive Big Food Boycott. Donate online now, or donate by mail or phone. Details here.

Sources told PoliticoPro that Stabenow wants to preempt states from enacting their own GMO labeling laws, before Vermont’s law takes effect in July. Under her plan, according to PoliticoPro, her bill would “sunset” after an unspecified period of time, unless corporations come up with a voluntary, not mandatory, labeling scheme.

How will Sen. Stabenow convince her fellow Senators to pass a law that is opposed by 90 percent of Americans?

By forcing Congress, and the President, to either support the legislation—or risk shutting down the government.

It’s blackmail, pure and simple. Brought to you by Monsanto, Big Food and the politicians who represent their interests, not yours.

Sen. Stabenow’s GMO labeling “solution” will likely allow corporations to voluntarily slap a QR barcode on their products. Assuming you have a smart phone, experience using QR codes and plenty of time on your hands, you would scan the QR code. This would bring you to a company’s slick website where, somewhere in fine print, might appear the words “contains GMOs.”

It’s an elitist, anti-consumer, anti-democratic, pro-corporate plan.

And by forcing Congress to choose between passing this law, or a government shutdown, it’s blackmail.

Congress must pass a budget by December 11. That’s how long we have to stop Monsanto and Sen. Stabenow.

Monsanto and Big Food have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to corrupt Congress and deceive the public. We will continue to fight this new blackmail attempt until midnight December 11.

After that? We will mobilize a boycott against every food corporation that refuses to tell us, in plain words, in plain view, if their products contain GMOs.

Thank you.

Ronnie Cummins
National Director, Organic Consumers Association and Organic Consumers Fund

P.S. We have until December 11 to stop this blackmail attempt. Please make a generous donation today. Donations made to the the Organic Consumers Association, a 501(c)(3) are tax-deductible. Thank you!