Help Us Kill the "Monsanto Protection Act" For Good

As you likely know, the biotech rider (which has been dubbed “The Monsanto Protection Act”) passed as part of the Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government for the next six months, and was signed into law. Though wrapped in a “farmer-friendly” package, this Monsanto-driven rider is simply a biotech industry ploy to continue to plant GE crops even when a court of law has found they were approved illegally.

Thanks to your pressure, Senators Tester, Boxer, Gillibrand, Leahy, Begich and Blumenthal have all spoken out against the rider, as well as other corporate “pork” earmarks, and offered an amendment to strike the rider from the Senate CR. Despite receiving calls and emails from hundreds of thousands of citizens opposing the industry-driven rider and supporting the amendment to strike it, the amendment was ultimately never voted on. The rider will be alive for the six month duration of the temporary spending bill and we are now working to ensure that this agribusiness handout is not included in any future Appropriations bills.

While there are no definite fingerprints for whoever is responsible for including the rider, the earmark was allowed under the direction of Senator Barbara Mikulski, the Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee (D-MD). Congress held no hearings on this controversial rider and many Democrats in the Committee were unaware of its presence in the CR. However, Senator Mikulski later released a statement asserting her opposition to the “biotech rider.”

As Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Mikulski will ultimately be responsible for the next Senate Appropriations bill, so her opposition is crucial. We urge Senator Mikulski to continue speaking out against this rider and to ensure that it is excluded from any future appropriations bills. Congress is expected to take up FY2014 appropriations bills in the next few months, and we need to make sure this dangerous rider doesn’t get included in them. Let’s keep the pressure on Congress to dump the Monsanto rider!

Write your Senators and Representative and urge them to keep the biotech rider out of upcoming spending bills.

Subject: Oppose biotech riders

Your Letter:

I am writing to strongly oppose the biotech rider—currently section 735 of the Continuing Resolution  (H.R. 933)—and urge you to ensure this dangerous policy rider not be included in FY 2014 spending bills.

Senators Tester, Boxer, Gillibrand, Leahy, Begich and Blumenthal have all spoken out against the rider, as well as other corporate “pork” earmarks, and offered an amendment to strike the rider from the Senate CR.  Despite receiving calls and emails from hundreds of thousands of citizens opposing the industry-driven rider and supporting the amendment to strike it, the amendment was ultimately never voted on. Since its passage, even Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Mikulski has released a statement asserting her opposition to the “biotech rider.”
 
Though wrapped in a “farmer-friendly” package, this provision is simply a biotech industry ploy to continue to sell GE seeds even when a court of law has found they were approved by USDA illegally. It is unnecessary and an unprecedented attack on U.S. judicial review. Congress should not be meddling with the judicial review process based solely on the special interest of a handful of companies.

The judicial review process is an essential element of U.S law and serves as a vital check on any Federal Agency decision that may negatively impact human health, the environment or livelihoods. Yet this provision seeks an end-run around such judicial review by preemptively deciding that industry can set its own conditions to continue to sell biotech seeds, even if a court may find them to have been wrongfully approved.

The provision further forces USDA to immediately approve any permits for continued planting the industry requests, putting industry completely in charge by allowing for a “back door approval” mechanism. USDA’s duty is to protect the interests of all farmers and the environment, a duty that would be eliminated by this provision.

I strongly oppose the biotech rider, section 735 of HB 933, and urge you to oppose this dangerous rider in your appropriations requests for the upcoming FY2014 Agriculture Appropriations Bill and any future legislation or spending bills.

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