Just Label It Applauds Todd Tiahrt for Supporting GE Labeling, Opposing Pompeo’s DARK Act

Contact: Violet Batcha
(315) 262-5990, violet@justlabelit.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JUNE 23, 2014

Washington, DC – Today the national Just Label It campaign applauded former Congressman Todd Tiahrt for supporting the right to know whether food contains GE ingredients and for opposing legislation that would block states from giving consumers this right.

Rep. Tiahrt is running against Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan), who has introduced legislation to block mandatory GE labeling by the states.

Tiahrt’s campaign issued the following statement to Just Label It:

“In a free market, in a free country, we deserve access to information freely. This includes the freedom to know what is in our food. Mr. Pompeo’s bill to prohibit the labeling of GMOs takes that freedom of information away from states and from us as consumers. As parents, we should know what is in our kids’ cereal.  As for me, I choose moms over Monsanto.  Just label it; just let us know what is in our foods.”

Earlier this year, Rep. Pompeo introduced legislation – dubbed the Deny Americans the Right to Know Act or DARK Act by opponents – that would keep Americans in the dark about GE ingredients in their food.  His bill would preempt state GE labeling laws, including the labeling law recently enacted in Vermont, and limit FDA’s ability to compel mandatory labeling, while allowing food labeled as “natural” to contain GE ingredients.

“Just Label It applauds Todd Tiahrt for his commitment to giving consumers the right to know and for allowing states to address consumer confusion created by claims like ‘natural’,” said Violet Batcha, JLI’s Communications Manager.

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