NOBULL: Tell Obama to veto the Monsanto Protection Act
Join 200,000 Americans to Veto the Monsanto Protection Act!
Tell President Obama: "It’s time to Vote for Peoples’ Rights not Corporations!"
SOS: Last Chance to Stop the Monsanto Protection Act!
Dear Mike,
We have to take a moment to say that you’re incredible! Food Democracy Now! is literally on the front lines of protecting our country from unchecked corporate power.
Your voice has been heard at the highest levels in Washington DC. Yesterday Food Democracy Now! delivered more than 200,000 comments electronically to the White House and the phones at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue were literally ringing off the hook. We have just 24 hours to keep this pressure on the White House.
We heard back from hundreds of you that you couldn’t get through to the White House switchboard. This is an testament to how many people care about protecting our food supply, family farmers and future generations, and stopping the Monsanto Protection Act.
Now that we’ve reached over 200,000 comments, Dave and Lisa will deliver them in person to the White House. If you’re in Washington DC, meet us in front of the White House tomorrow – Wednesday, March 27th at noon!
Today we need you to make this your mission to get as many people as possible to leand their voice!
Those of you here care deeply and know what’s at stake. Please help us increase our voices 10-fold tomorrow so that we have the strength of a nation behind us when we deliver your signatures to the White House tomorrow, telling our President that we value our democracy, our seeds and the health and vibrancy of our future generations.
Can you please get 5 friends and family members or more to sign this petition today? Let them know that their future depends on it.
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
~ Edmund Burke
Let’s make sure our voice is heard loud and clear today!
Right now, the short-term spending budget bill with Monsanto’s poison pill is sitting on the President’s desk, waiting for him to sign. President Obama has until tomorrow – Wednesday March 27th to sign this into law, unless you stop him.
We need you to do three things:
http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/801?t=8&akid=802.48727.rsgowD
We realize that the phone lines will be very busy today, but please keep calling until you get through. Every voice counts!
http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/791?t=11&akid=802.48727.rsgowD
If you’ve already signed, please get 5 friends to sign this petition today!
Help us reach 250,000 signatures today, so Food Democracy Now! can have a larger voice than Monsanto when we deliver your comments to the White House.
http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/804?t=14&akid=802.48727.rsgowD
We understand the odds that we’re up against, that many will say that President Obama can’t afford not to sign this budget bill, which if not signed will temporarily shut down the federal government.
But the truth is, there is no legitimacy in elected officials that stand idly by when violations of our basic rights like this happen. Section 735 sets a dangerous precedent that allows corporations to work back room deals to undermine the rule of law.
Obama has a clear choice: veto the Monsanto Protection Act or allow Congress and corporate special interests to continue to lead America down this slippery slope.
The choice is clear, President Obama can veto H.R. 933 or he can side with Monsanto.
Already people are telling us that this is a fight we cannot win. That’s because Section 735, the Monsanto Protection Act, is a small provision snuck into a 841 page “appropriations bill for the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs and other departments and agencies for the fiscal year 2013” so the President "has to sign it".
We disagree. As a Constitutional law scholar, President Obama understands better than anyone the threat the Monsanto Protection Act poses to our Constitution and our democracy. Unfortunately, President Obama does not have the option of a line item veto, and the only recourse is for him to veto the entire bill.
Don’t worry, we understand the odds. More importantly we know the odds if we don’t stand up. This is a corporate coup d’etat and Monsanto and everyone else in Washington DC wants you to be quiet.
But we can’t afford to. There’s too much at stake to sit silent. Some say it will only last 6 months and expire in September. And we think that’s much too long. Here at Food Democracy Now! we’re not willing to surrender our democratic rights for even one second. As long as these bastards work to undermine our rights we will fight them. And with your help, we’re just getting started.
What’s at stake:
By sneaking Section 735 into a federal appropriations bills, Monsanto has successfully planted a dangerous provision in U.S. law that strips judges of their constitutional mandate to protect American’s health and the environment while opening up the floodgates for the planting of new, untested genetically engineered crops.
Even if their new GMO crops are ultimately proven to be harmful to human health or the environment, Section 735 allows them to be planted the minute the USDA approves them!
Even more alarming, currently 13 new crops are awaiting approval at the USDA and AquaBounty’s GMO salmon is on the verge of being approved by the FDA. This new provision opens the door wide open for these approvals.
The floodgates would literally be open for Monsanto, DuPont and Dow Chemical’s new GMO crops that are resistant to more toxic chemicals like 2,4-D, Agent Orange and dicamba that will replace failing Roundup Ready GMO crops.
According to legal experts, this provision would create a precedent-setting limitation on judicial review and is a dangerous assault on fundamental federal and judicial safeguards needed to protect America’s farmers, citizens and the environment from the wanton approval of Monsanto’s new GMO crops.
Tell President Obama to Veto H.R. 933 and the Monsanto Protection Act – Every voice counts!
Thanks for participating in food democracy,
Dave, Lisa and the Food Democracy Now! team
Background:
1. "H.R. 933: Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013", passed Congress March 22, 2013 containing Section 735, Monsanto Protection Act.
Monsanto Protection Act language:
Sec. 735. In the event that a determination of non-regulated status made pursuant to section 411 of the Plant Protection Act is or has been invalidated or vacated, the Secretary of Agriculture shall, notwithstanding any other provision of law, upon request by a farmer, grower, farm operator, or producer, immediately grant temporary permit(s) or temporary deregulation in part, subject to necessary and appropriate conditions consistent with section 411(a) or 412(c) of the Plant Protection Act, which interim conditions shall authorize the movement, introduction, continued cultivation, commercialization and other specifically enumerated activities and requirements, including measures designed to mitigate or minimize potential adverse environmental effects, if any, relevant to the Secretary’s evaluation of the petition for non-regulated status, while ensuring that growers or other users are able to move, plant, cultivate, introduce into commerce and carry out other authorized activities in a timely manner: Provided, That all such conditions shall be applicable only for the interim period necessary for the Secretary to complete any required analyses or consultations related to the petition for non-regulated status: Provided further, That nothing in this section shall be construed as limiting the Secretary’s authority under section 411, 412 and 414 of the Plant Protection Act.
http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/803?t=20&akid=802.48727.rsgowD
2. “H.R. 933: Department of Defense, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Full-Year … (Concurring in the Senate Amendment)”, which contains Section 735, the Monsanto Protection Act passes Congress 318-109.
http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/802?t=22&akid=802.48727.rsgowD
3. “H.R. 933: Department of Defense, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Full-Year (On Passage of the Bill)” March 20, 2013
http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/797?t=24&akid=802.48727.rsgowD
4. “House Votes to Prevent Government Shutdown, Support Troops and Veterans”, March 6, 2013
http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/798?t=26&akid=802.48727.rsgowD
5. “Monsanto Protection Act, Section 735 Language from Senate Continuing Resolution, HR 933,” Passed Senate vote 73-26, March 20, 2013 Page 80
http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/799?t=28&akid=802.48727.rsgowD
6. “Sen. Tester: Who Put These Agribiz-Friendly Riders into This Unrelated Bill?” Mother Jones, March 15, 2013
http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/800?t=30&akid=802.48727.rsgowD
7. "‘Monsanto Protection Act’ would keep GMO crops in the ground during legal battles ", Grist, June 29, 2012
http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/734?t=32&akid=802.48727.rsgowD
