Monsanto More Powerful Than The U.S. Government

[24KT]

Monsanto More Powerful Than The US Government

It's called the Monsanto Protection Act among activists and concerned citizens who have been following the developments on the issue, and it consists of a legislative 'rider' inside (Farmer Assurance Provision, Sec. 735) a majority-wise unrelated Senate Continuing Resolution spending bill. You may already be aware of what this rider consists of, but in case not you will likely be blown away by the tenacity of Monsanto lobbyist goons.

If this rider passes with the bill, which could be as early as this week, Monsanto would have complete immunity from federal courts when it comes to their ability to act against any new Monsanto GMO crops that are suspected to be endangering the public or the environment (or considered to be planted illegally by the USDA). We're talking about courts that literally can do nothing to Monsanto if it's found that their newest creation may be promoting cancer, for example. Whether it's a GMO banana or an apple, Monsanto could continue planting the food abomination all it wants under court review.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBwYKK85oeA" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBwYKK85oeA</a>


http://www.infowars.com/monsanto-protection-act-proves-corporations-more-powerful-than-us-government/

[WOOO]

total toxic horseshit

monsanto is committing genocide

[Montague]

Whoever proposed this bill in the first place should have his balls dragged over a mile of broken glass. If it was a woman, I'll think of something else.

[falco]

Welcome to the future.

[24KT]

'Monsanto Protection Act':
5 Terrifying Things To Know About The HR 933 Provision

By Connor Adams Sheets | March 27, 2013  3:03pm

The "Monsanto Protection Act" is the name opponents of the Farmer Assurance Provision have given to this terrifying piece of policy, and it's a fitting moniker given its shocking content.

President Barack Obama signed a spending bill, HR 933, into law on Tuesday that includes language that has food and consumer advocates and organic farmers up in arms over their contention that the so-called "Monsanto Protection Act" is a giveaway to corporations that was passed under the cover of darkness.

There's a lot being said about it, but here are five terrifying facts about the Farmer Assurance Provision -- Section 735 of the spending bill -- to get you acquainted with the reasons behind the ongoing uproar:


1.) The "Monsanto Protection Act" effectively bars federal courts from being able to halt the sale or planting of controversial genetically modified (aka GMO) or genetically engineered (GE) seeds, no matter what health issues may arise concerning GMOs in the future. The advent of genetically modified seeds -- which has been driven by the massive Monsanto Company -- and their exploding use in farms across America came on fast and has proved a huge boon for Monsanto's profits.

But many anti-GMO folks argue there have not been enough studies into the potential health risks of this new class of crop. Well, now it appears that even if those studies are completed and they end up revealing severe adverse health effects related to the consumption of genetically modified foods, the courts will have no ability to stop the spread of the seeds and the crops they bear.

2.) The provision's language was apparently written in collusion with Monsanto. Lawmakers and companies working together to craft legislation is by no means a rare occurrence in this day and age. But the fact that Sen. Roy Blunt, Republican of Missouri, actually worked with Monsanto on a provision that in effect allows them to keep selling seeds, which can then go on to be planted, even if it is found to be harmful to consumers, is stunning. It's just another example of corporations bending Congress to their will, and it's one that could have dire risks for public health in America.

3.) Many members of Congress were apparently unaware that the "Monsanto Protection Act" even existed within the bill they were voting on. HR 933 was a spending bill aimed at averting a government shutdown and ensuring that the federal government would continue to be able to pay its bills. But the Center for Food Safety maintains that many Democrats in Congress were not even aware that the provision was in the legislation:

“In this hidden backroom deal, Sen. [Barbara] Mikulski turned her back on consumer, environmental and farmer protection in favor of corporate welfare for biotech companies such as Monsanto,” Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of the Center for Food Safety, said in a statement. “This abuse of power is not the kind of leadership the public has come to expect from Sen. Mikulski or the Democrat Majority in the Senate.”

4.) The President did nothing to stop it, either. On Tuesday, Obama signed HR 933 while the rest of the nation was fixated on gay marriage, as the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument concerning California's Proposition 8. But just because most of the nation and the media were paying attention to gay marriage doesn't mean that others were not doing their best to express their opposition to the "Monsanto Protection Act." In fact, more than 250,000 voters signed a petition opposing the provision. And Food Democracy Now protesters even took their fight straight to Obama, protesting in front of the White House against Section 735 of the bill. He signed it anyway.

5.) It sets a terrible precedent. Though it will only remain in effect for six months until the government finds another way to fund its operations, the message it sends is that corporations can get around consumer safety protections if they get Congress on their side. Furthermore, it sets a precedent that suggests that court challenges are a privilege, not a right.

“I think any time you tweak with the ability of the public to seek redress from the courts, you create a huge risk,” Seattle attorney Bill Marler -- who has represented victims of foodborne illness in successful lawsuits against corporations -- told the New York Daily News.


CONSPIRACY THEORY MY TUSHIE!!!  

[Montague]

This is more infuriating than trying to engage Tbombz in sensible conversation.

[24KT]

Monsanto Protection Act Roll Call:
How did YOUR Congressperson vote on HR933?

A national chorus of rage is rising over the "Monsanto Protection Act," a provision of the HR 933 spending bill that was passed by Congress this month and signed into law Tuesday by President Barack Obama.

Many voters will be wondering how their members of Congress voted on the HR 933 continuing resolution.

This article provides a brief primer on the criticisms of Section 735 of the bill -- a provision that opponents have dubbed the "Monsanto Protection Act" -- followed by a breakdown of how each member of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives voted on it.

The language in Section 735 effectively bars federal courts from being able to halt the sale or planting of genetically modified crops and seeds, no matter what health consequences from their consumption may come to light in the future, according to interpretations of the law included in a petition against the provision that was circulated by the advocacy group Food Democracy Now.

"This provision is simply an industry ploy to continue to sell genetically engineered seeds even when a court of law has found they were approved by USDA illegally," the petition stated. "It is unnecessary and an unprecedented attack on U.S. judicial review. Congress should not be meddling with the judicial review process based solely on the special interest of a handful of companies. Many food safety advocates maintain that there have not been enough studies into the potential health risks of GMO and GE seeds and crops, and the judicial power to stop companies from selling or planting them was one key recourse they were relying on to stop them from being sold if health risks come to light."

The petition was signed by more than 200,000 people during a drive aimed at getting Obama to veto the bill that Congress sent to his desk. But their effort was not able to sway Obama, and the provision is now in force for the six months during which the continuing provision will remain the law of the land.

Now protesters, food advocates, organic farmers and others are coming together in a push either for Section 735 to somehow be repealed, or at least for it to be struck from any permanent legislation that will likely arise as the period of the continuing resolution draws to a close later this year.

Below is a breakdown of the congressional voting record on HR 933, which provides insight into just how the bill, Section 735 included, made it from the Capitol to the White House:

Here is the 73-26-1 Senate roll call vote breakdown on HR 933, as compiled by the Senate's clerk office:


Alexander (R-TN), Yea

Ayotte (R-NH), Nay

Baldwin (D-WI), Yea

Barrasso (R-WY), Yea

Baucus (D-MT), Yea

Begich (D-AK), Yea

Bennet (D-CO), Yea

Blumenthal (D-CT), Yea

Blunt (R-MO), Yea

Boozman (R-AR), Yea

Boxer (D-CA), Yea

Brown (D-OH), Yea

Burr (R-NC), Nay

Cantwell (D-WA), Yea

Cardin (D-MD), Yea

Carper (D-DE), Yea

Casey (D-PA), Yea

Chambliss (R-GA), Yea

Coats (R-IN), Yea

Coburn (R-OK), Nay

Cochran (R-MS), Yea

Collins (R-ME), Yea

Coons (D-DE), Yea

Corker (R-TN), Yea

Cornyn (R-TX), Yea

Cowan (D-MA), Yea

Crapo (R-ID), Nay

Cruz (R-TX), Nay

Donnelly (D-IN), Yea

Durbin (D-IL), Yea

Enzi (R-WY), Nay

Feinstein (D-CA), Yea

Fischer (R-NE), Nay

Flake (R-AZ), Nay              

Franken (D-MN), Yea

Gillibrand (D-NY), Yea

Graham (R-SC), Nay

Grassley (R-IA), Nay

Hagan (D-NC), Yea

Harkin (D-IA), Yea

Hatch (R-UT), Yea

Heinrich (D-NM), Yea

Heitkamp (D-ND), Yea

Heller (R-NV), Nay

Hirono (D-HI), Yea

Hoeven (R-ND), Yea

Inhofe (R-OK), Nay

Isakson (R-GA), Yea

Johanns (R-NE), Yea

Johnson (D-SD), Yea

Johnson (R-WI), Nay

Kaine (D-VA), Yea

King (I-ME), Yea

Kirk (R-IL), Nay

Klobuchar (D-MN), Yea

Landrieu (D-LA), Yea

Lautenberg (D-NJ), Not Voting

Leahy (D-VT), Yea

Lee (R-UT), Nay

Levin (D-MI), Yea

Manchin (D-WV), Yea

McCain (R-AZ), Nay

McCaskill (D-MO), Yea

McConnell (R-KY), Yea

Menendez (D-NJ), Yea

Merkley (D-OR), Yea

Mikulski (D-MD), Yea

Moran (R-KS), Nay            

Murkowski (R-AK), Yea

Murphy (D-CT), Yea

Murray (D-WA), Yea

Nelson (D-FL), Yea

Paul (R-KY), Nay

Portman (R-OH), Nay

Pryor (D-AR), Yea

Reed (D-RI), Yea

Reid (D-NV), Yea

Risch (R-ID), Nay

Roberts (R-KS), Nay

Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea

Rubio (R-FL), Nay

Sanders (I-VT), Yea

Schatz (D-HI), Yea

Schumer (D-NY), Yea

Scott (R-SC), Nay

Sessions (R-AL), Yea

Shaheen (D-NH), Yea

Shelby (R-AL), Yea

Stabenow (D-MI), Yea

Tester (D-MT), Nay

Thune (R-SD), Yea

Toomey (R-PA), Nay

Udall (D-CO), Yea

Udall (D-NM), Yea

Vitter (R-LA), Nay

Warner (D-VA), Yea

Warren (D-MA), Yea

Whitehouse (D-RI), Yea

Wicker (R-MS), Yea

Wyden (D-OR), Yea


Here is the 318-109-4 House of Representatives roll call vote breakdown on the final version of HR 933, as compiled by the House's clerk office:


Yeas:

Aderholt

Alexander

Andrews

Bachus

Barber

Barletta

Barr

Barrow (GA)

Barton

Beatty

Benishek

Bentivolio

Bera (CA)

Bilirakis

Bishop (GA)

Bishop (UT)

Black

Blackburn

Blumenauer

Bonamici

Bonner

Boustany

Brady (PA)

Brady (TX)

Brooks (AL)

Brooks (IN)

Brown (FL)

Brownley (CA)

Buchanan

Bucshon

Burgess

Bustos

Butterfield

Calvert

Camp

Campbell

Cantor

Capito

Capps

Carney

Carson (IN)

Carter

Cassidy

Castro (TX)

Chabot

Chaffetz

Clay

Cleaver

Clyburn

Coble

Coffman

Cole

Collins (GA)

Collins (NY)

Conaway

Cook

Cooper

Costa

Cotton

Courtney

Cramer

Crenshaw

Cuellar

Culberson

Cummings

Daines

Davis (CA)

Davis, Rodney

DeFazio

Delaney

DelBene

Denham

Dent

Diaz-Balart

Dingell

Duckworth

Duffy

Duncan (SC)

Edwards

Ellmers

Enyart

Eshoo

Esty

Farenthold

Fattah

Fincher

Fitzpatrick

Fleischmann

Flores

Forbes

Fortenberry

Foster

Foxx

Frankel (FL)

Franks (AZ)

Frelinghuysen

Gabbard

Gallego

Garcia

Gardner

Garrett

Gerlach

Gibbs

Gibson

Goodlatte

Gosar

Gowdy

Granger

Graves (GA)

Graves (MO)

Green, Al

Green, Gene

Griffin (AR)

Griffith (VA)

Grimm

Guthrie

Gutierrez

Hanna

Harper

Harris

Hartzler

Heck (NV)

Heck (WA)

Hensarling

Herrera Beutler

Himes

Hinojosa

Holding

Horsford

Hoyer

Hudson

Huffman

Huizenga (MI)

Hunter

Hurt

Israel

Issa

Jenkins

Johnson (GA)

Johnson (OH)

Johnson, E. B.

Johnson, Sam

Jordan

Joyce

Kaptur

Keating

Kelly

Kilmer

Kind

King (IA)

King (NY)

Kinzinger (IL)

Kirkpatrick

Kline

Kuster

Labrador

LaMalfa

Lamborn

Lance

Langevin

Lankford

Larsen (WA)

Latham

Latta

Levin

Lipinski

LoBiondo

Loebsack

Long

Lowenthal

Lowey

Lucas

Luetkemeyer

Lujan Grisham (NM)

Maffei

Maloney, Carolyn

Maloney, Sean

Marchant

Marino

Matheson

McCarthy (CA)

McCarthy (NY)

McCaul

McHenry

McIntyre

McKeon

McKinley

McMorris Rodgers

McNerney

Meadows

Meehan

Meng

Messer

Mica

Michaud

Miller (FL)

Miller (MI)

Miller, Gary

Moore

Moran

Mullin

Mulvaney

Murphy (FL)

Murphy (PA)

Negrete McLeod

Neugebauer

Noem

Nugent

Nunes

Nunnelee

O'Rourke

Olson

Owens

Palazzo

Pastor (AZ)

Paulsen

Payne

Pearce

Pelosi

Perry

Peters (CA)

Peterson

Petri

Pittenger

Pitts

Poe (TX)

Polis

Pompeo

Price (GA)

Price (NC)

Quigley

Radel

Rahall

Reed

Reichert

Renacci

Ribble

Rice (SC)

Rigell

Roby

Roe (TN)

Rogers (AL)

Rogers (KY)

Rogers (MI)

Rohrabacher

Rokita

Rooney

Ros-Lehtinen

Roskam

Ross

Rothfus

Royce

Ruiz

Runyan

Ruppersberger

Ryan (WI)

Sanchez, Loretta

Scalise

Schiff

Schneider

Schock

Schwartz

Schweikert

Scott (VA)

Scott, Austin

Scott, David

Sensenbrenner

Sessions

Sewell (AL)

Shea-Porter

Sherman

Shimkus

Shuster

Sinema

Sires

Smith (NE)

Smith (NJ)

Smith (WA)

Southerland

Stewart

Stivers

Takano

Terry

Thompson (CA)

Thompson (MS)

Thompson (PA)

Thornberry

Tiberi

Tipton

Titus

Turner

Upton

Valadao

Van Hollen

Veasey

Vela

Visclosky

Wagner

Walberg

Walden

Walorski

Walz

Waxman

Weber (TX)

Webster (FL)

Wenstrup

Whitfield

Williams

Wilson (SC)

Wittman

Wolf

Womack

Woodall

Yoder

Yoho

Young (AK)

Young (FL)

Young (IN)

Nays:

Amash

Bachmann

Bass

Becerra

Bishop (NY)

Braley (IA)

Bridenstine

Broun (GA)

Capuano

Cárdenas

Cartwright

Castor (FL)

Chu

Cicilline

Clarke

Cohen

Connolly

Conyers

Crawford

Crowley

Davis, Danny

DeGette

DeLauro

DeSantis

DesJarlais

Deutch

Doggett

Doyle

Duncan (TN)

Ellison

Farr

Fleming

Fudge

Garamendi

Gingrey (GA)

Gohmert

Grayson

Grijalva

Hahn

Hall

Hanabusa

Hastings (FL)

Hastings (WA)

Higgins

Holt

Honda

Huelskamp

Hultgren

Jackson Lee

Jeffries

Jones

Kennedy

Kildee

Kingston

Larson (CT)

Lee (CA)

Lewis

Lofgren

Luján, Ben Ray (NM)

Lummis

Lynch

Markey

Massie

Matsui

McClintock

McCollum

McDermott

McGovern

Meeks

Nadler

Napolitano

Neal

Nolan

Pallone

Pascrell

Perlmutter

Peters (MI)

Pingree (ME)

Pocan

Posey

Rangel

Richmond

Roybal-Allard

Rush

Ryan (OH)

Salmon

Sánchez, Linda T.

Sarbanes

Schakowsky

Schrader

Serrano

Simpson

Slaughter

Smith (TX)

Speier

Stockman

Stutzman

Swalwell (CA)

Tierney

Tonko

Tsongas

Vargas

Velázquez

Waters

Watt

Welch

Westmoreland

Wilson (FL)

Yarmuth

Not Voting:

Amodei

Engel

Miller, George

Wasserman Schultz


http://www.ibtimes.com/monsanto-protection-act-roll-call-how-did-your-congressperson-vote-hr-933-1158789



Conpiracy theory MY TUSH!!!!  

[WOOO]

This is more infuriating than trying to engage Tbombz in sensible conversation.