The Senate voted 68-29 late Wednesday on a procedural motion on the genetically modified food (GMO) compromise labeling bill written by Senate Agricultural Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). The Senate vote attached the Roberts substitute amendment to the House bill. The Senate leadership also scheduled a vote next Wednesday, July 6 to end debate on the bill S.764. The vote to end debate requires 60 votes for approval.
The vote on the bill follows months of negotiations between Senators Roberts and Stabenow. The proposed legislation would establish a uniform labeling standard for food that is bioengineered. The legislation includes three labeling options to be developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture–an on-package phrase indicating the product contains GMOs, an on-package symbol, or a scannable QR or barcode. USDA would have two years to set thresholds for when labeling would be required.
The legislation exempts foods in which meat, poultry and egg products are the main ingredients and prohibits the Secretary of Agriculture from considering any food product derived from an animal to be bioengineered solely because that animal might have eaten GMO feed.
Senate agricultural leaders have been under pressure to preempt Vermont’s GMO labeling law, which will go into effect today, July 1, but will not be enforced until January. Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) tried to derail the measure, backed by fellow Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA). Senator Sanders has vowed to put a hold on the legislation, which would prevent it from coming up for debate unless proponents can muster 60 votes.
The bill still needs to be approved by the House of Representatives, which passed a voluntary labeling bill last year.
