Senate Proceeding on Jul 25th, 2008 :: 5:10:42 to 5:19:07
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4:56:25 to 5:10:42( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Bill Nelson

5:10:22 to 5:10:42( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: losses. the u.s. people have stood with the colombian people as they fight this violence, in impugnity, this narcotico trafficking -- narco trafficking in little country of colombia. it's a happy

5:10:42 to 5:10:59( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: occasion for us, but a sobering reflection uponn those that are still held like animals in cages. it's a happy occasion and we are overjoyed at the return of keith and tom and mark. but colombia's

5:10:42 to 5:19:07( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Robert P. Casey, Jr.

5:10:59 to 5:11:12( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: war against the narco traffickers is not over. mr. presimrdent, thank you for the opportunity to share this with the senate. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from pennsylvania.

5:11:12 to 5:11:30( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: mr. casey: mr. president, i rise today to talk about an issue which hasas gotten some attention in our country, but with so many economic problems that face the american people and our families, it probably

5:11:30 to 5:11:50( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: hasn't gotten enough attention here in washington. and that is the issue of the outbreak of food-borne illnesses and other problems that have arisen in the last couple off weeks an months with regard

5:11:50 to 5:12:03( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: to our food supply supply. as of july 21, 1,256 people in 48 stes, the chris trict of columbia and canada have been afflicted with a very rare strain of a food-borne bacteria, salmonella st. paul.

5:12:03 to 5:12:20( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: 231 individuals have been hospitalized for treatment, and sadly the deaths of two indiduals in texas have also been connected to the outbreak. many people who get sick from food don't even seek

5:12:20 to 5:12:37( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: medical attention. many illnesses linked to this outbreak has gone undiagnosed. the center for disease control estimates that for every one illness diagnosed in the case of sal mow nilla, 31 cases actually

5:12:37 to 5:12:51( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: occur. that means that the number in this outbreak could number the tens of thousands. according to the c.d.c. this is the largest food-borne outbreak in a decade. it has been seven weeks since the

5:12:51 to 5:13:06( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: f.d.a. first warned consumers against eating certain types of tomatoes. since june 2, the number of individuals sickened by the outbreak steadily have continued to rise. many of these subsequent illness

5:13:06 to 5:13:21( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: reports were due to delays -- delays in testing and reporting by the states. but a shocking 600-plus people had illnesses that began after -- after the f.d.a. announced that tomatoes were linked to

5:13:21 to 5:13:35( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: the outbreak. as a result of the f.d.a.'s warning, the u.s. tomato industry has sustained well over $100 million in damages much many tomato growers and wholesalers fear that like spinach, demand of

5:13:35 to 5:13:58( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: the product may be affected for years to come. after several weeks and tens of millions of dollars later, the f.d.a. says that it is -- quote -- "highly unlikely" unquote that the tomatoes were involved

5:13:58 to 5:14:13( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: in the outbreak. new tests lead the f.d.a. to believe that jalapeno peppers is likely for the reason for the outbreak. the f.d.a. has issued a recall for hal jalapenos grown in mexico. it is unlikely

5:14:13 to 5:14:31( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: that it could account for 1,200 illnesses. while the f.d.a. investigates other parts of the distribution chain, they still do not know where the contamination happened. the f.d.a. and the c.d.c. have candidly

5:14:31 to 5:14:50( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: stated that there is a very real possibility that we may never determine -- never determine the root cause of this outbreak. and as unsettling as that is, what we have uncovered is equally unsettling. our government

5:14:50 to 5:15:04( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: has no way to trace food products from the farm to our dinner plates. no way to trace food products. in -- in an era where when can instantly detect stolen credit identities, when we have the technology to

5:15:04 to 5:15:21( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: pinpoint a person's location, when we can track an online shopping order from the production process all the way through delivery to our doorstep, we have no way to trace -- no way to trace and determine

5:15:21 to 5:15:35( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: where our food came from. there are currently no laws or regulations requiring a national system for traceability of u.s. foods. while many in the food industry do employ voluntary record keeping systems,

5:15:35 to 5:15:46( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: it is -- there is no consistency. members of u.s. food industry from the farmers to the processors to distributors to vendors use differ systems to capture difrent types of data regarding their

5:15:46 to 5:16:01( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: products. because it lacks consistency, it becomes difficult to link or share this data among the various partners in the u.s. food industry. much of this data trail isn't even computerized. instead

5:16:01 to 5:16:13( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: it remains on antiquated paper files. and it makes the f.d.a. and c.d.c.'s job of tracing the cause of this outbreakeven more difficult and time consuming. compounding difficulties many produce items

5:16:13 to 5:16:28( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: are mixed with products from various other sources and then they are repackaged. some food products even leave the country before being returned for sale in this country. and, along the way, these

5:16:28 to 5:16:49( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: types of products lose any type of information that might help us identify their source. this lack of trace80 of information about our -- trace ability of information about our food is unacceptable

5:16:49 to 5:17:03( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: in this day and age and in this country. implementing a system of food traceability would allow us to identify the source of contamination and allow us to act in the interest of public health to notify consumers

5:17:03 to 5:17:20( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: about unsafe products they may have in their kitchens. 86% of the people in the united states said that produce should be labeled so it can be better tracked to its origin. it is time for industry

5:17:20 to 5:17:32( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: and the government to take action to give consumers this information.| but implementation of a national trance system is still half the battle. there are still 76 million cases of foodborne illnesses

5:17:32 to 5:17:46( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: in this country every year. those illnesses send an estimated 300,000 americans to the hospital each year and they kill, they kill an estimated 5,000 individuals yearly. many of these deaths occur in

5:17:46 to 5:17:59( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: young children, the elderly and those with chronic illnesses. i believe the united states senate must begin looking at ways to modernize the u.s. system of food inspection. we must provide the agencies

5:17:59 to 5:18:10( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: that regulate food safety with additional authority to ensure the safety of our nation's food supply, and we must increase resources to the federal food and drug administration so they can hire more

5:18:10 to 5:18:23( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: personnel and so they can invest in greussments their system -- in improvements to their system -- systems, i should say, of inspecting test and i can imported food products. we must mandate science-based

5:18:23 to 5:18:37( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: regulations to ensure the safety of food products that carry the most risk. and we must improve coordination between the usda, the department of agriculture, f.d.a. and the various other federal

5:18:37 to 5:19:07( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: and state agencies charged with regulating food safety. americans have every right to expect a safe food supply and we in the senate owe it to them to make needed improvements to this system before

5:19:07 to 5:19:26( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Menendez: another outbreak sickens thousands more of our citizens. mr. president, i yield the floor floor. a senator: mr. president? the presiding ofcer: the senator fr om new jersey. mr. menendez: thank you, mr.

5:19:07 to 5:22:21( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Robert Menendez