S.Res. 391 — Introduced in Senate

III 116th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 391 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES October 31, 2019Mr. Tester submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry RESOLUTION Reaffirming a strong commitment to U.S. producers and American-made commodities. Whereas the U.S. farmers and ranchers raise the best meat in the world; Whereas Americans should have the right to knowingly buy made in America products; Whereas American farmers, ranchers, workers and consumers benefit from transparency on the origin of food; Whereas Congress overwhelmingly supported Country-of-Origin Labeling (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Stat. 1651) because 87 percent of consumers want to know the country of origin of their meat; Whereas in 2015, Congress repealed the Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) law for beef and pork, reducing the competitive advantage of products born, raised, and slaughtered in the U.S.; Whereas there is no standardized definition of the term truth in labeling, disadvantaging American producers; Whereas Congress supports American products, and consumers deserve the right 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, like beef and pork, are misleadingly labeled Product of USA if they are processed or packed in the United States; Whereas technological advancements make it possible to accurately and efficiently identify the origin of beef and pork without costly segregation of imported and domestic commodities; Whereas this gives producers and consumers the ability to identify true American products from foreign imported meat; and Whereas Country-of-Origin labeling is good for farmers, ranchers, workers, and packers, because it allows them to identify their products as born and raised in the United States: Now, therefore, be it That the Senate supports legislation to reinstate Country-of-Origin labeling for pork and beef to allow consumers to make an informed and free choice about where their food comes from.