Today the DARK Act was blocked in the US Senate, March 16th, 2016. The act was introduced as:
H.R. 1599 (DARK Act)–A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to food produced from, containing, or consisting of a bioengineered organism, the labeling of natural foods, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
After the senate vote, the EWG stated in a press release:
In a major win for consumers, Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) failed to earn the votes he needed to stop debate on a bill known to opponents as the Deny Americans the Right to Know Act, or DARK Act.
According to EWG, the defeat of the DARK Act offers Congress the opportunity to find a compromise for a national mandatory GMO labeling measure that consumers and industry can support.
Scott Faber, senior vice president for government affairs, said:
“Consumers have made their voices heard to their elected representatives in the Senate and they said clearly, “We want the right to know more about our food.” We are pleased that the Senate made the right decision to stop the DARK Act, and we remain hopeful that Congressional leaders can craft a national mandatory compromise that works for consumers and the food industry. We applaud Senators Debbie Stabenow, Jeff Merkley, Jon Tester, Barbara Boxer and Pat Leahy for their efforts to defeat the DARK Act.”
The legislation, which would block state GMO labeling laws, didn’t reach the 60 votes it needed to proceed through legislation. Separated by one vote with 48 YEAs and 49 NAYs, the act was defeated. Find out how your senator voted on the labeling of Genetically Modified Foods and if they think you should have the right to know…
Alphabetical by Senator Name
| Alexander (R-TN), Yea Ayotte (R-NH), Yea Baldwin (D-WI), Nay Barrasso (R-WY), Yea Bennet (D-CO), Nay Blumenthal (D-CT), Nay Blunt (R-MO), Yea Booker (D-NJ), Nay Boozman (R-AR), Yea Boxer (D-CA), Nay Brown (D-OH), Nay Burr (R-NC), Yea Cantwell (D-WA), Nay Capito (R-WV), Yea Cardin (D-MD), Nay Carper (D-DE), Yea Casey (D-PA), Nay Cassidy (R-LA), Yea Coats (R-IN), Yea Cochran (R-MS), Yea Collins (R-ME), Nay Coons (D-DE), Nay Corker (R-TN), Yea Cornyn (R-TX), Yea Cotton (R-AR), Yea Crapo (R-ID), Yea Cruz (R-TX), Not Voting Daines (R-MT), Yea Donnelly (D-IN), Yea Durbin (D-IL), Nay Enzi (R-WY), Yea Ernst (R-IA), Yea Feinstein (D-CA), Nay Fischer (R-NE), Yea |
Flake (R-AZ), Yea Franken (D-MN), Nay Gardner (R-CO), Yea Gillibrand (D-NY), Nay Graham (R-SC), Yea Grassley (R-IA), Yea Hatch (R-UT), Yea Heinrich (D-NM), Nay Heitkamp (D-ND), Yea Heller (R-NV), Nay Hirono (D-HI), Nay Hoeven (R-ND), Yea Inhofe (R-OK), Yea Isakson (R-GA), Yea Johnson (R-WI), Yea Kaine (D-VA), Nay King (I-ME), Nay Kirk (R-IL), Yea Klobuchar (D-MN), Nay Lankford (R-OK), Yea Leahy (D-VT), Nay Lee (R-UT), Nay Manchin (D-WV), Nay Markey (D-MA), Nay McCain (R-AZ), Yea McCaskill (D-MO), Nay McConnell (R-KY), Nay Menendez (D-NJ), Nay Merkley (D-OR), Nay Mikulski (D-MD), Nay Moran (R-KS), Yea Murkowski (R-AK), Nay Murphy (D-CT), Nay Murray (D-WA), Nay |
Nelson (D-FL), Nay Paul (R-KY), Nay Perdue (R-GA), Yea Peters (D-MI), Nay Portman (R-OH), Yea Reed (D-RI), Nay Reid (D-NV), Nay Risch (R-ID), Yea Roberts (R-KS), Yea Rounds (R-SD), Yea Rubio (R-FL), Not Voting Sanders (I-VT), Not Voting Sasse (R-NE), Yea Schatz (D-HI), Nay Schumer (D-NY), Nay Scott (R-SC), Yea Sessions (R-AL), Yea Shaheen (D-NH), Nay Shelby (R-AL), Yea Stabenow (D-MI), Nay Sullivan (R-AK), Nay Tester (D-MT), Nay Thune (R-SD), Yea Tillis (R-NC), Yea Toomey (R-PA), Yea Udall (D-NM), Nay Vitter (R-LA), Yea Warner (D-VA), Nay Warren (D-MA), Nay Whitehouse (D-RI), Nay Wicker (R-MS), Yea Wyden (D-OR), Nay |
Razi Berry, Founder and Publisher of Naturopathic Doctor News & Review (ndnr.com) and NaturalPath (thenatpath.com), has spent the last decade as a natural medicine advocate and marketing whiz. She has galvanized and supported the naturopathic community, bringing a higher quality of healthcare to millions of North Americans through her publications. A self proclaimed health-food junkie and mother of two; she loves all things nature, is obsessed with organic gardening, growing fruit trees (not easy in Phoenix), laughing until she snorts, and homeschooling. She is a little bit crunchy and yes, that is her real name.