WASHINGTON, April 3, 2016 - Returning from its Easter
recess, the Senate will take up legislation that would help biotech companies
protect trade secrets, but there has been little sign of progress on the bigger
issue of labeling genetically engineered foods.
The Senate votes Monday on the bipartisan Defend Trade Secrets
Act (S. 1890), which would allow companies to file civil
claims directly in federal courts rather than relying on prosecutors to bring
criminal cases. According to a Senate Judiciary Committee’s report on the bill, theft of trade secrets costs
the U.S. economy at least $300 billion annually.
“Trade secrets are increasingly important to the American
economy, but the law has failed to keep pace with rapidly changing technology
and aggressive criminals,” said Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley. Similar
legislation has been introduced in the House but no action has been taken on
it.
The Justice Department highlighted the threat to
agricultural biotechnology by holding a special roundtable last week at Iowa State
University.
Meanwhile, the biotech industry hopes that some
Democratic senators will return form the break willing to cut a deal on
legislation to preempt state GMO labeling laws. After
Democrats blocked the bill from advancing March 16, four
major food companies announced plans to start labeling their
products for biotech ingredients to comply with a Vermont labeling law that
takes effect July 1.
Pro-labeling activists are optimistic that additional
legislation will pass in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut
by July.
Supporters of the preemption bill hope the announcements
will put pressure on Democrats, led by the Senate Agriculture Committee’s
ranking member, Debbie Stabenow, to agree to a compromise.
“We will have to see if members who voted no on cloture
feel any differently about after hearing from their constituents over the
break,” said Meghan Cline, a spokeswoman of the committee.
Randy Russell, the lead lobbyist for the industry on the
issue, said, “Clearly there is growing pressure for the Senate to find a
compromise. … Thousands of food companies are having to make decisions
right now with how to comply - with no flexibility, no options, and with absolutely
no certainty that other states won’t
pass laws with different rules, exemptions and exceptions.”
Stabenow will be a keynote speaker on Thursday at the
Consumer Federation of America’s annual food policy conference. Stephen Ostroff, the
former acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Commission who will soon
replace Michael Taylor as deputy commissioner of foods, will speak on
Wednesday.
There has already been some controversy over CFA’s
decision to disinvite a member of one panel at the conference, science
journalist Nina Teicholz, author of “The Big Fat Surprise: Why
Butter, Meat, and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet.” She will appear at a news
conference Tuesday with the Nutrition Coalition, a group sponsored by Houston
philanthropists Laura and John D. Arnold.
Tuesday’s Republican primary in Wisconsin could be
another turning point in the presidential race. A victory by Texas Sen. Ted
Cruz would make it a bit more difficult for Donald Trump to get the 1,237
delegates he needs to secure the GOP nomination, experts say. Forty-two
delegates are at stake Tuesday. They are apportioned by the outcome statewide
and in individual congressional districts.
Colorado Republicans are holding a series of conventions
that wrap up Saturday to allocate that state’s 37 delegates. Cruz won the first
six national delegates selected at district conventions on Saturday, according to The Denver Post.
Trump currently has 735 delegates nationwide to 461 for Cruz, according to The New York Times.
The latest RealClearPolitics poll average has Cruz leading Trump in Wisconsin by 39.5 percent to 32.5 percent. In the Democratic race, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has a slight lead over Hillary Clinton.
Clinton, who needs 2,383 delegates to capture the
Democratic nomination, has won 1.243 delegates so far to 980 for Sanders.
Clinton also has the support of 469 super delegates, compared to just 31 for
Sanders, according to the Times count.
Here’s
a list of agriculture- or rural-related events scheduled for this week in
Washington and elsewhere:
Monday, April 4
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in Berlin through
Tuesday to meet with German officials as well as farmers and industry
representatives.
All day - Energy
Smart Conference, Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center.
1 p.m. -USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service public meeting
on the upcoming Codex Committee on General Principles, available by conference
call, USDA Room 107-A, USDA Whitten Building.
2 p.m. - White House holds event on climate and health,
Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
4 p.m. - USDA releases Crop Progress
report.
5 p.m. - Cato Institute viewing of the film
“Poverty Inc.” on development groups, with webcast,
1000 Massachusetts Ave. NW.
Tuesday, April 5
1:30 a.m. - First Lady Michelle Obama hosts students from
Wisconsin, Colorado and Louisiana and representatives of NASA to plant the
White House Kitchen Garden.
2:30 p.m. - Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee
hearing on military veterans, 192 Dirksen.
3 p.m. - Nutrition Coalition and Nina Teicholz, author of
The Big Fat Surprise, hold news conference on nutrition policy, National Press
Club.
Wednesday, April 6
All day - Consumer Federation of America’s National Food Policy Conference, Capital Hilton.
10 a.m. - Center for Strategic and International Studies forum,
“Tracking Promises: Analyzing the Impact of Feed the Future Investments in
Tanzania,” 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW.
10 a.m. - Senate Agriculture subcommittee hearing on USDA rural development programs, 328-A
Russell.
10 a.m. - Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations
Subcommittee hearing on the Forest Service, 124 Dirksen.
Thursday, April 7
Vilsack is in Paris to co-chair the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development meeting of agriculture ministers.
All day - CFA National Food Policy Conference.
7:45 a.m. - Vilsack and French Agriculture Minister
Stéphane Le Foll open OECD meeting with news conference, which will be webcast.
8:30 a.m. - USDA releases Weekly Export
Sales report.
10: 30 a.m. - Senate Environment and Public Works
Committee hearing, “The Federal Role in Keeping Water and
Wastewater Infrastructure Affordable,” 406 Dirksen.
Friday, March 25
Export-Import Bank annual conference, through Saturday, Omni Shoreham.
Chief agricultural trade negotiator Darci Vetter participates in a panel discussion on the Trans-Pacific Partnership that is hosted by the Fresno Chamber of Commerce, Fresno, Calif.
9:20 a.m. - U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman speaks at the Ex-Im Bank conference.
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