President Barack Obama signed what food activists have labeled the “Monsanto Protection Act” on March 26.
The act includes allowing genetically modified food to be sold without being labeled as such.
“The media didn’t really report anything on it, which was weird,” Eastern Michigan University freshman Scott Humphrey said.
The Monsanto Company has and will continue to make profits from selling genetically modified and genetically engineered food.
“All food is genetically modified to some degree,” EMU sophomore Sam Nilles said. “That’s how we got the wheat and cows and other domesticated food.”
This act was passed in bill H.R. 933, which was originally meant to keep the government from shutting
down.
According to DemocracyNow.org, many members of congress were unaware of this acts existence in H.R. 933 when it was voted on.
Those who oppose the act argue the health risks of genetically altered food are unknown, and that they could potentially be hazardous.
A petition to repeal the act has reached over 250,000 signatures.
“I find it unusual that people are rioting over genetically modified food when most cosmetics derived from animal byproducts are not listed as non-vegan,” EMU junior Josh Ballard said.
After the bill was signed, Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski released a statement from her office.
“As chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Mikulski’s first responsibility was to prevent a government shutdown,” the statement said. “That meant she had to compromise on many of her own priorities to get a bill through the Senate that the House would pass. She will continue to fight for a regular and timely appropriations process and other valuable priorities, including food safety.”
RT.com reported that Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, the man responsible for writing the bill, had received $64,250 for his committee from Monsanto between the years 2008-12.
