Email from Herb Kohl

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The United States has the safest food supply in the world.  Yet, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one out of every six Americans are affected by food-borne illnesses each year – costing the health care system an estimated $88 billion according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  

This highlights the need for an even stronger food safety system. Guarding our food supply cannot just be passed on to states and local governments or left to private industry.  Protecting public health is an inherent function of the federal government.  Consumers should be confident that the food they purchase at the grocery store is safe and will not cause harm to their families.  

Over the last week we examined important policy and fiscal questions at two Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee hearings held to review the President’s fiscal year 2012 budget request.  I used these hearings to ask Agriculture Secretary Vilsack and FDA Commissioner Hamburg about the President’s proposed funding requests for food safety.  I asked whether these increases are necessary at this time given the mounting federal deficit. 

 Every dollar of taxpayer money that we spend must be questioned, defended, and well thought out.  We must ask whether or not we can do more with less, but we must not jeopardize public health.   The way our food is produced is becoming more complex every day, so we need our food safety agencies to have the ability to adapt to these changes. 

As we prepare to write the fiscal year 2012 spending bills, I will work closely with our food safety agencies to make sure we are protecting public health and being good stewards of your taxpayer money. 

Sincerely,

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It's good to see he's willing to consider how much something will cost us before he votes to spend our money, isn't it?