100,000+ signatures on White House petition decry GMO labeling bill
WASHINGTON— Today a petition calling on President Obama to veto a discriminatory GMO labeling bill surpassed the 100,000 signature threshold that demands the president’s acknowledgement. The petition decries the Deny Americans the Right to Know (DARK) Act (S.764) that passed through Congress earlier this month. The bill discriminates against more than 100 million Americans by allowing companies and producers to use QR codes, 1-800 numbers and other difficult to access technology to label food products that contain GMOs, instead of clear, on-package text. If signed, the bill would also set a dangerous precedent to override the sovereignty of states, as many state labeling laws, including Vermont’s recently enacted GMO labeling law, would be nullified. Now that the petition calling for a veto of the bill has gained the necessary 100,000 signatures, the president has 60 days to respond. He must decide whether or not to sign the bill by July 30th.
The following is statement from Andy Kimbrell, executive director at the Center for Food Safety:
“This petition is a call to action that the president can no longer ignore. Americans have reached out to their leader to tell him that they deserve the right to know what is in the food they buy and feed their families, and he needs to listen. One-third of Americans cannot and should not be left in the dark by this discriminatory, unconstitutional piece of legislation. President Obama should veto the DARK Act.”
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