More evidence that most of us agree on 95 percent of things: Tim Kaine is touting passage of a Senate bill that he is working up along with Tommy Tuberville.
Kaine, Tuberville and another MAGA senator, Bill Cassidy, are shepherding legislation styled the Making America’s Food Safer Act through Congress.
The bill passed the Senate unanimously on Tuesday, and now heads to the House, which is on another vacation.
“No one should be in a grocery store aisle having to wonder whether the food in their cart is going to make them ill. Protecting Americans from contaminated food, faulty products, and other dangerous items is one of the most basic regulatory responsibilities the government has,” Kaine said in a statement on Tuesday.
“This bipartisan legislation will make the food supply chain more efficient, improve coordination between the federal government and state and local entities about food safety — all the more important in the context of recent outbreaks of foodborne illness — and help keep dangerous products off U.S. shelves. I am grateful to my Senate colleagues for supporting this common-sense, bipartisan legislation,” Kaine said.
The Making America’s Food Safer Act would:
- Expand the third-party certificate program to allow both foreign and domestic entities involved in the food supply chain to be audited by accredited third-party auditors. Previously, only foreign entities were eligible for third-party auditing. This broadening of eligibility will relieve administrative burden on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and improve efficiency while preserving safety.
- Provide the FDA with the authority to share food safety information with state and local regulatory agencies. Previously, the FDA was barred from sharing certain data, including surveillance data on foodborne illness outbreaks, laboratory fundings, facility inspection records, recall information, and consumer complaints, due to proprietary restrictions. Historically, coordination between the FDA and state/local regulators have helped protect public health, including in 2024 when data sharing between the FDA and North Carolina state health authorities led to the successful recall of lead-contaminated applesauce nationwide.
- Expand the authority of the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to order the destruction of any FDA-regulated product that presents a significant public health risk, such as contaminated foods and illegal vaping/e-cigarette products. The FDA already has this authority for items like medical devices and prescription drugs. By expanding HHS’ authority to destroy dangerous items, this legislation would help close a loophole known as “port shopping” — i.e., subsequent attempts to bring dangerous goods into the U.S. after they have already been rejected through another port.
Share
Chris Graham
