Intense lobbying on Capitol Hill by agriculture giants seems to have paid off in the form of exemptions, giveaways and deregulations included in the Farm Bill approved by the House of Representatives Agriculture Committee. A provision, widely deemed the "Monsanto Rider," deconstructs the already insufficient regulations restricting new genetically engineered crops while creating new environmental loopholes and reducing the time frame the USDA has to study and approve applications for new GMOs. Another rider also disables the ability of courts to stop the introduction or sale of GMOs, while the appeal process is underway. This amendment to override the courts' jurisdiction demonstrates the outrageous extent of Monsanto's influence - they seek to disable the US balance of powers between the three branches of government, tipping the scales in favor of GMOs at any cost.

The Senate passed its own version of the Farm Bill and should the House bill pass as proposed, the two legislative bodies would have to reconcile differences in language. In the meantime, Representative Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) has introduced an amendment to kill the rider with support from groups such as the Organic Consumers Association, Center for Food Safety and the Alliance for Natural Health USA.

As of Friday, July 20, the House had not scheduled a vote on the 2012 Farm Bill which is needed to replace the legislation which expires at the end of the year. Plenty of time is available for additional lobbying on both sides and with Monsanto tossing in $1.4 million in just the first three months of this year, the massive company clearly sees a benefit to its bottom from the money spent in Washington.

From Institute for Responsible Technology