This week Congress closed the door on one of the last pieces of unfinished business from 2008, and began moving forward with the many pressing issues facing the nation. President Obama signed an ‘omnibus’ appropriations bill to fund federal programs for FY 2009 on Tuesday, the same day the bill passed the Senate. The enactment of this legislation allows Congress to move forward with the budget and appropriations process for FY 2010, which will be ongoing throughout the year and would ideally be completed by October.
On Tuesday, Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Representative George Miller (D-Calif.) held a joint press conference to announce their introduction of the Employee Free Choice Act, also known as the 'Card Check' bill, in the Senate and House of Representatives, respectfully. AFFI has been actively opposing this proposal, which would strip workers’ rights by eliminating the secret ballot from labor organization proceedings and would install a federal bureaucrat with the power to impose a two-year binding contract on both the employees and employer. Click here to join the effort in opposing this dangerous legislation.
Following up the introduction of the Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act of 2009 by Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.) last week, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture held a hearing on domestic nutrition programs, examining the efficacy of these programs. Among other concerns, the growing childhood obesity epidemic was discussed at length. Following is a list of witnesses who testified during the hearing:
• Thomas O’Connor, Acting Deputy Under Secretary Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services
• Kelly D. Brownell, Professor, Yale University, Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity
• Lynn Parker, Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine, The National Academies
Wednesday, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing continuing the committee’s examination of the food safety system. The Committee had held another food safety hearing last month, in response to the ongoing peanut butter recall. This hearing explored three legislative responses currently under consideration. These include Rep. Dingell’s FDA Globalization Act of 2009 (H.R. 759), Rep. DeLauro’s Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 (H.R. 875), and Rep. Costa’s Safe FEAST Act of 2009 (H.R. 1332). Following is a list of witnesses who testified during the hearing:
• Caroline Smith DeWaal, Food Safety Director, Center for Science in the Public Interest
• William Hubbard, Former Associate Commissioner for Policy and Planning, Food and Drug Administration, Advisor, Alliance for a Stronger FDA
• Martin Cole, Ph.D., Research Professor of Biology and Director, National Center for Food Safety and Technology, Illinois Institute of Technology
• Thomas E. Stenzel, President and CEO, United Fresh Produce Association
• Jim Lugg, Former Executive Vice President, Food Safety and Quality, Fresh Express, Consultant, Chiquita Brands
Please contact AFFI’s Director of Government Affairs, Jason Bassett at (703) 821-0700 orjbassett@affi.comfor more information or materials on any of the issues discussed in this update.
