With a number of Republicans breaking ranks, the Senate on Wednesday voted to allow debate to go forward on what supporters say would be the biggest overhaul of the nation’s food-safety laws since the Great Depression.
In one of the first votes of the post-election lame-duck session of Congress, the Senate voted 74-25 to move forward on the bill, far more than the three-fifths majority of 60 votes needed to overcome the filibuster. Sen. Tom Coburn, Oklahoma Republican, had led opposition to the bill on the grounds that supporters had not found the funds to pay for the bill’s estimated $1.4 billion tab.
Boosted by a series of recent outbreaks of foodborne illnesses in peanuts, eggs and other produce, the measure would strengthen the authority of the Food and Drug Administration to recall tainted products, inspect private food processors and set higher standards for food storage.
Full Story: Food-safety overhaul bill clears hurdle in Senate – Washington Times
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