Senator
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

RE: OPPOSE the "Food Uniformity Bill"

Dear Senator ,

I am outraged that the House passed H.R. 4167, the "National Uniformity for Food Act of 2005," and I urge you to strongly oppose any companion bill in the Senate.

This industry-supported bill is an obvious attempt at eliminating state food safety and labeling laws on behalf of the food industry and at the expense of the rights of citizens and their state and local governments to protect their own public health. Because the FDA does not comprehensively regulate food safety, eliminating all state laws unless they are identical to FDA requirements will eliminate approximately 200 state food safety and labeling laws. The "uniformity" created by this bill will in many instances be the uniform absence of food safety laws.

Local and state officials are now responsible for 80% of the nation's food safety enforcement. H.R. 4167 puts a stranglehold on the people most informed about local needs. This bill is opposed by the Association of State Departments of Agriculture, the Association of Food and Drug Officials, 39 state Attorneys General, the National Conference of State Legislators and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture. These authorities are right to be concerned about the risks to public health that H.R. 4167 presents.

Obviously, special interests trumped public interest in the House. Don't let that happen in the Senate. Please stand up for the rights of our local governments and citizens to protect our public health and food supply and oppose any companion bill in the Senate.