Author of budget bill mystery rider protecting GM foods revealed

[wtmusic]

You can trust this man.

"As I reported a couple of weeks ago, a recent Senate bill came with a nice bonus for the genetically modified seed industry: a rider, wholly unrelated to the underlying bill, that compels the USDA to ignore federal court decisions that block the agency's approvals of new GM crops. I explained in this post why such a provision, which the industry has been pushing for over a year, is so important to Monsanto and its few peers in the GMO seed industry. (You can also hear my talking about it on NPR's The Takeaway, along with the senator who tried to stop it, Montana's Jon Tester, and see me on Al Jazeera's Inside Story.)

Which senator pushed the rider into the bill? At the time, no one stepped forward to claim credit. But since then, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) has revealed to Politico's ace reporter David Rogers that he's the responsible party. Blunt even told Rogers that he "worked with" GMO seed giant Monsanto to craft the rider.

The admission shines a light on Blunt's ties to Monsanto, whose home office is located in the senator's state, Missouri. According to OpenSecrets, Monsanto first started contributing to Blunt back in 2008, when it handed him $10,000. At that point, Blunt was serving in the House of Representatives. In 2010, when Blunt successfully ran for the Senate, Monsanto upped its contribution to $44,250. And in 2012, the GMO seed/pesticide giant enriched Blunt's campaign war chest by $64,250."

http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2013/04/sen-roy-blunt-monsantos-man-washington

[Demeter]

1. A bone fide Jerk

[socialindependocrat]

2. It's a shame that nobody will lift a finger to stop the bribery of our politicians.

Is it because most of them are on the take?

Not only will no one stop it
The SCOTUS adds to it with Citizens United.

How do we get this boat turned around?

The government is supposed to be "FOR THE PEOPLE"

[wtmusic]

3. Striking down Citizens United would be a good first step

but just shedding light on these underhanded tricks helps.

Bad PR for Monsanto and ammunition for Blunt's opponent in 2016.

[socialindependocrat]

5. Also, the whole idea of adding something irrelevant to a bill is ridiculous

Why this hasn't been stopped is beyond me.

If people don't read the bills that come up it is an underhanded way
to get something passed that no one wants.

Each line item should relate to the specific bill in question.

This is another underhanded trick that continues to be allowed
when it just allows for pork and unnecessary expenditures.

[wtmusic]

6. Unfortunately it's an important tool of negotiation.

Garnering support for a bill often means including something your opponent wants. In this case, it was rammed through under the threat that the government would shut down.

Democrats who signed it without reading it are as much to blame as anyone.

[socialindependocrat]

10. Thanks for the explanation

I do appreciate the learning.

On the other hand, I still feel that this causes more damage
especially when there are lengthy bills where a bunch of people try to sneak things in.

And I do see the need for people to say I'll give you this if you give me that and
they can't trust that the trade will happen if you give now for the return trade at
a later date.

I don't like it.

Well, there's the problem - Too many cheats and a lack of trust.

[Auntie Bush]

11. They have been known to add them after every one read them...sneaked in anonymously

Isn't that what happened with the bill that prevented Americans from buying pills across the boarder?

[kristopher]

12. Tester spoke out on the floor against the Monsanto provision.

They knew.

[OKIsItJustMe]

13. Film at 11…

(Keep watching…)

[kristopher]

15. Stewart showed it on the Daily Show last night. nt

[raouldukelives]

16. Only voice we have anymore is our money & time.

Use them for corporations and this is what we will get. Every dollar invested, every sale made, every minute of labor brings them closer to paradise and liberal values closer to death.
If we haven't learned that by now, we never will.

[rhett o rick]

4. Help me out. Some here rationalize that Pres Obama had no choice but to sign the bill.

Couldnt he have sent it back to Congress and told them to remove this piece of shit? I know it'd be hard, but I doubt impossible. This makes it look like Obama has no power of the veto.

[wtmusic]

7. Yes, but it's unlikely that anyone even read it until after the fact.

Incredible, but true.

[rhett o rick]

8. Are you suggesting that the Pres didnt know that turd was in the bill?

I doubt that very much. If so, we are worse off than I thought.

[wtmusic]

9. Yes

Eye-opener from Michael Moore interview with John Conyers (D-MI):

"Sit down, my son. We don't read most of the bills."

[Vinnie From Indy]

14. Most have staff read, digest and condense bill particulars.

Good staffers will not miss things like the Monsanto provision.