Food and Drug Administration

Tom Coburn Wants To Hold Up Food Safety Bill: Is This NOT Insanity? :(

Ronald Leave a comment

Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma has a reputation for being one of the most loony members of the US Senate!

He is only adding to this reputation by his threat to use Senatorial privilege to prevent the passage of a food safety bill, as too expensive and giving too much control to the Food and Drug Administration!

This bill has already been held up for a year, and that means there are more chances of tainted food in the future if this is not passed!

As it is now, the FDA cannot inspect many food facilities for a decade or more, and there is great danger to the public from the lack of inspections and regulation!

How anyone could see the blockage of legislation to promote food safety, health safety, as acceptable is beyond understanding for anyone who is sane! 🙁

This whole issue of senatorial privilege needs to be addressed in the future, as it is totally destructive of government doing what it MUST do–promote public safety, which should be defined as more than just defense of the nation! 🙁

The Obama Administration And Increased Regulation

Ronald Leave a comment

The Obama Administration is taking active steps in three government agencies to promote regulation on issues that affect public safety and work conditions.

New activism is being promoted by the Food and Drug Administration (originated under Theodore Roosevelt); the Consumer Product Safety Commission (begun under Richard Nixon); and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (also originating under Richard Nixon).

This is on top of the effort for new financial regulations, and also the beefing up of the regulatory powers of the Environmental Protection Agency (also initiated under Richard Nixon).

While conservatives will, of course, attack this new emphasis on regulation, I see it as an important step in the return of the nation to the best aspects of the Progressive Era, The New Deal, and The Great Society, as well as the numerous reforms under Republican Richard Nixon, who is seen more than ever as having been quite significant in promoting reform and regulation, despite his many negatives, and involvement in the Watergate scandal.