> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.foodconsumer.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # URGENT: Your Senator Will Vote Today on the DARK Act! - URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/dark_act_0316151252/ - Published: 2016-03-16T13:51:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-22T16:30:44.000Z - Description: An alert urging readers to call senators before an 11:45 a.m. vote on S. 2609, the bill opponents call the DARK Act, with talking points defending Vermont's GMO labeling law and opposing QR codes. It lists Monsanto's 2014 contributions to Democrats who might cross over. - Author: Food Consumer - Tags: Politics, #vivvo-import ## URGENT: Your Senator Will Vote Today on the DARK Act! With a vote [expected](http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=wvm9CkVCQYrmUCfVfC7%2BLI7t5KNFJ6RB&ref=foodconsumer.org) at 11:45 this morning, this is likely your last chance to call your Senators before they vote on the DARK Act, the bill that would Deny Americans the Right to Know about GMOs. **Please dial** [**888-897-0174**](tel:888-897-0174) **to call your Senators. Please use these talking points:** 1\. Vote against the DARK Act, S. 2609, and any other attempt to block, delay or compromise Vermont’s law requiring labels on GMOs. 2\. GMOs should be labeled ‘Produced with Genetic Engineering’ using words on the package. Anything less is unacceptable. 3\. QR codes, symbols and acronyms would hide information about GMOs from people who aren’t in the know. Any “solution” requiring a smart phone discriminates against people who don’t have smart phones. 4\. The people of Vermont shouldn’t have to wait for the food companies to voluntarily label GMOs or for the federal government to write regulations. Vermont’s GMO labeling law must be allowed to take effect on July 1. 5\. There are real concerns about the safety of GMOs, especially as more than 99 percent of the GMO crops grown in the world today are engineered to increase our exposure to pesticides like Monsanto’s Roundup, which the World Health Organization says is a probable carcinogen. The Republican-sponsored DARK Act will have to be amended to gain the Democratic support it needs to pass. With 54 Republicans, at least 6 Democrats are needed to get the 60 votes necessary to block a filibuster. It is unlikely that every Republican will be present and voting yes, so as many as 10 Democrats could have to cross the aisle. Which Democrats are most likely do this? [Click here for the full list](http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=uYTVPU%2B3cjrX5HWgWD3MY47t5KNFJ6RB&ref=foodconsumer.org). But, a quick look at Monsanto’s 2014 campaign [contributions](http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=hb9jvuG7b9jddVz3ne2woo7t5KNFJ6RB&ref=foodconsumer.org) is very telling: Stabenow, Debbie (D-MI) $7,500 Durbin, Dick (D-IL) $7,000 Heitkamp, Heidi (D-ND) $6,000 Casey, Bob (D-PA) $5,000 McCaskill, Claire (D-MO) $5,000 Franken, Al (D-MN) $2,700 Donnelly, Joe (D-IN) $1,000 Wyden, Ron (D-OR) $1,000 Most of these Democrats have said that they don’t like the DARK Act as is, but that they would be willing to support a “compromise.” How low will they go? They will definitely take away states’ rights to label GMOs. They are not going to hold out for a requirement that puts the words “produced with genetic engineering” on food labels. Most likely, they’ll give food companies a couple of years to give consumers information about GMOs, and then let them bury this information on websites that can only be accessed by smart phones or 1-800 numbers. They may also restrict the definition of GMO to exempt some genetically engineered foods. Ironically, once they’ve stomped on states’ rights and given in to every one of the GMO food industry’s whims, then these Monsanto-supported sell-out Democrats are going to expect us to thank them. They’ll claim they beat the DARK Act by joining it. We disagree. The only good GMO labeling law this Congress can pass is no GMO labeling law. Vermont’s law must be allowed to take effect. Unfortunately, some of our so-called “allies” in the organic and non-GMO movement believe that they can go dollar-for-dollar with Monsanto and that their campaign contributions will win the movement a better compromise. This past weekend, four organic-food industry executives held a [fundraiser](http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=EwDCgZOl6E1vFyWJ62yux47t5KNFJ6RB&ref=foodconsumer.org) for Sen. Stabenow: Whole Foods co-CEO Walter Robb, Stonyfield Farms Chairman Gary Hirshberg, Organic Valley CEO George Siemon and Laura Batcha, head of the Organic Trade Association. We think it’s a little premature to be throwing victory parties and bestowing campaign cash upon pro-GMO Senators like Stabenow. The only way to win real, meaningful GMO labels is to stay strong and refuse to capitulate. The nine out of ten people who support GMO labels will never be defeated, as long as we stay united. We can stop the DARK Act! **Please dial** [**888-897-0174**](tel:888-897-0174) **to call your Senators today!** Thanks! Alexis and the OCA team