A resolution reaffirming a strong commitment to United States producers and commodities made in the United States.

Bill: 116-sres-575
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]
Introduced: 2020-05-13
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Agricultural trade

Consumer affairs

Food supply, safety, and labeling

Foreign Trade and International Finance

Meat
Latest action: action_date: 2020-05-13
text: Referred to the Committee on Finance. (text: CR S2425)

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-05-13
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>This resolution expresses that the Senate urges the President to require the U.S. Trade Representative to enter into the trade negotiations necessary to implement mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef, in order to allow consumers to make an informed and free choice about where their food comes from.</p>

tv_txt: III 116th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 575 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 13, 2020 Mr. Tester (for himself, Mr. Rounds , Mr. Daines , Mr. Thune , and Mr. Booker ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Finance RESOLUTION Reaffirming a strong commitment to United States producers and commodities made in the United States.

Whereas the farmers and ranchers of the United States raise the best beef in the world; Whereas consumers have a right to knowingly buy products made in the United States; Whereas farmers, ranchers, workers, and consumers in the United States benefit from transparency regarding the origin of food; Whereas Congress overwhelmingly supported country-of-origin labeling (also known as COOL ) in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 ( Public Law 110–246 ; 122 Stat. 1651) because 87 percent of consumers want to know the country of origin of the meat those consumers purchase; Whereas, in 2015, Congress repealed the law requiring country-of-origin labeling for beef, reducing the competitive advantage of products born, raised, and slaughtered in the United States; Whereas there is no standardized definition of the term truth in labeling , disadvantaging producers in the United States; Whereas Congress supports products made in the United States, and consumers deserve to know where their food comes from; Whereas the United States has the highest phytosanitary standards in the world, while other countries place less emphasis on food safety; Whereas foreign commodities, such as beef, are misleadingly labeled Product of USA if those commodities are processed or packed in the United States; Whereas technological advancements make it possible to accurately and efficiently identify the origin of beef without costly segregation of imported and domestic commodities, giving producers and consumers the ability to distinguish between beef actually produced in the United States and foreign, imported beef; and Whereas country-of-origin labeling is good for farmers, ranchers, workers, and packers because it allows those individuals to identify their products as born and raised in the United States: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate urges the President to require the United States Trade Representative to enter into the trade negotiations necessary to implement mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef, in order to allow consumers to make an informed and free choice about where their food comes from.