"One of the most outrageous special interest provisions in years." That’s what Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) calls the Monsanto Protection Act, which became law in March.1
Now we have an opportunity to stop it. Senator Merkley has proposed an amendment to the Senate Farm Bill that would repeal the Monsanto Protection Act – but it will take serious grassroots pressure to even make sure the amendment comes up for a vote.
Senator Merkley was blocked from offering the amendment for a vote on Thursday, but we have another opportunity when the Senate returns from next week's recess, so we need to keep the pressure on.
Cynically dubbed the "Farmer Assurance Provision," the Monsanto Protection Act allows Monsanto and other companies to ignore existing food safety rules, and continue selling genetically modified seeds even if a court has blocked them from doing so.
Even worse is how this shameful giveaway became law. It was inserted anonymously, andwithout review into the must-pass budget bill to avoid government shutdown in March. CNN said that "the law passed without most of Congress even knowing about it."2 Jon Stewart put it a different way: "The laws of the most powerful nation on earth are written with the same level of accountability as internet comments."3
Our system of ensuring the safety of genetically modified foods is already insufficient, and wrought with industry influence. The FDA and USDA routinely approve foods without sufficient review, and often rely on shoddy industry-generated studies to determine the safety of GMO foods. The courts provide a vital check to allow us to challenge approvals that were conducted too hastily – as when federal courts found the USDA’s 2009 approval of Monsanto’s GMO sugar beets to have been based on an insufficient review.
But the Monsanto Protection Act strips the courts of the power to halt seed sales, and actually compels the USDA to approve products whose approval the courts have challenged. It’s so outrageous, the USDA says the provision might not be enforceable.4
Now our legislators have an opportunity to undo this appalling act of putting special interests like Monsanto ahead of our health and the safety of our food. Urge the Senate to take action now:http://act.credoaction.com/sign/mon_prot_act.Thanks for fighting industry influence in our food. Add your name: | 
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