Something Actually Gets Done In Congress; Food Safety Bill Enhances Legacy

by Stuart Shapiro

The Senate, in rare bipartisan fashion, passed a landmark food safety bill (the first real revision of FDA’s authority in 70 years) by a 73-25 vote Tuesday.  The House will almost certainly pass it in the next few days.

The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act requires every food processing facility to implement a food safety plan and requires the Food and Drug Administration to conduct more frequent inspections of the farms and factories that produce America’s food.

While weaker than the bill passed by House a year ago, it still gives FDA power to authorize mandatory recalls for the first time.  This should speed the reaction time when a food poisoning outbreak occurs.

It is yet another major piece of legislation passed by the 111th Congress.  This Congress has disappointed some progressives, but as it fades into history it will be remembered fondly for the largest legislative output in more than 40 years.  Nancy Pelosi’s term as speaker was a short one, (she is pictured with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid) but her list of accomplishments is a long one.  And they will continue have impacts on people’s lives long after people have forgotten what the Tea Party is.

By: Stuart Shapiro

Stuart is a professor and the Director of the Public Policy
program at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers
University. He teaches economics and cost-benefit analysis and studies
regulation in the United States at both the federal and state levels.
Prior to coming to Rutgers, Stuart worked for five years at the Office
of Management and Budget in Washington under Presidents Clinton and
George W. Bush.