In what’s being called “the most important vote for agriculture in the last 20 years,” the U.S. Senate approved late Thursday night a compromise GMO labeling bill, 63-30.
The bill, supported by Texas Farm Bureau (TFB), was championed by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts and ranking member Debbie Stabenow. Texas senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz voted in favor of the bill.
POLITICO reported Sen. Roberts called it “the most important vote for agriculture in the last 20 years,” and Sen. Stabenow described in a floor speech the months of negotiations as “rough and tumble.”
The bill now heads to the U.S. House for consideration.
“We are thankful the Senate took action to prevent a confusing and unworkable patchwork of laws from individual states like the one in Vermont. We are especially grateful that both Senator Cornyn and Senator Cruz supported this important legislation,” TFB Director of Government Affairs Regan Beck said.
The bill allows companies to disclose biotech ingredients through digital smartphone codes as an option to on-package text, which the new Vermont labeling law requires. Meat and dairy products from animals that are fed biotech feed would be exempt from disclosure, as well as foods such as pizza that are mostly meat.