Food safety legislation probably won’t be considered by the Senate before the August recess, but it is a top priority after Labor Day, according to a Capitol Hill source.
While action is possible before the recess, two other bills and a Supreme Court nomination will take precedence over food safety legislation the week of August 2, said the source, a Democratic staff member speaking on condition of anonymity.
However, he said Senate leaders are hopeful that food safety legislation can be considered and passed by the Senate in September.
Tom O’Brien, Washington, D.C., representative for the Newark, Del.-based Produce Marketing Association, said July 30 the final version of the Senate bill has not been released to review.
“I think the emphasis has been on what possible changes they can make to the bill for quick passage on the Senate floor,” he said.
A key issue has been the Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s, D-Calif., desire to use the bill to restrict the use of the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) in food and beverage containers.
In a July 19 letter to Sen. John Dingell, D-Mich., Feinsten said she won’t block the legislation from reaching the Senate floor because of the BPA issue. Feinstein indicated she would offer a BPA amendment on the floor if she is unable to include language it in the manager’s amendment.