Finally, Some Good News

There’s some good news.

Sen. Tom Coburn put a “hold” on S.510 – the dangerous “food safety” bill. He gives his reasons here.

A “hold” is a Senator’s advance warning that he or she will filibuster a bill. This means 60 votes is needed to pass it.

Coburn’s hold led Majority Leader Harry Reid to postpone a vote until the lame-duck session after the November elections. The window for passing a final bill is now very small. With your help, it will be slammed shut for good.

Your letters have helped delay passage for this long. With your continued pressure, we can kill the bill once and for all.

That’s why we’re asking you tell your Senators to support Coburn and filibuster S.510 using DownsizeDC.org’s Freedom to Farm Campaign.

You may borrow from or copy this letter . . .

I support Sen. Coburn’s hold on the dangerous “food safety” bill and urge you to support a filibuster to kill the bill.

• Sen. Tester’s amendment protecting small business is not in the latest version of S.510
• And even if Tester’s amendment is added to the bill, it might become watered-down or eliminated in the House-Senate Conference Committee
• And there are too many other dangerous flaws in the bill that give the FDA too much discretionary power

In addition, I urge you to read this analysis from Sen. Coburn’s office: http://coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2010/9/detailed-concerns-with-s-510-the-fda-food-safety-modernization-act-of-2010

Coburn reminds us that USDA inspectors knew about sanitary problems at one of the farms responsible for the salmonella egg scare, but didn’t tell the FDA or any other health authority. It bothers me that government failure is constantly used as an excuse to grab more power. Instead, please do less, and focus more.

You can send your letter via DownsizeDC.org’s Educate the Powerful System.

And please tell your friends about this issue and retweet this message.

James Wilson, Assistant Communications Director
DownsizeDC.org