The Senate Agriculture Committee will turn to reauthorization of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and labeling of GMO foods now that a child-nutrition bill is on the way to a floor vote, said chairman Pat Roberts. “We did this, now we’re going to work on the next two,” the chairman told reporters, without hinting when to expect action.
A Roberts spokesman said that CFTC reauthorization was second on the agenda after child nutrition. When a reporter asked when to expect a GMO bill, the chairman replied, “Down the road. We’re working on it.”
Action on CFTC is ensnared in attempts by lawmakers, mostly Republicans, to roll back parts of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law. The White House threatened a veto of the House-passed CFTC bill, which includes customer protections and a relaxation of regulation of end users, such as farmers and food processors. The White House says the bill fails to provide sufficient funding for CFTC, and that its requirement of cost-benefit studies will slow down rule-making. Roberts has said he wants a bill “that eases the burdens on end-user companies that provide crucial services that our farmers and ranchers need.”
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is trying to broker a compromise on labeling of genetically modified foods. Congress is at an impasse with Vermont’s first-in-the-nation labeling law, which takes effect on July 1. The food industry says Congress should pre-empt state labeling. Pro-labeling groups have called for mandatory labeling nationwide.