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# Groups Urge Action to Fight DARK Act in U.S. Senate
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/fight_dark_act_in_u_s_senate_0826150908/
- Published: 2015-08-26T10:06:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:19:18.000Z
- Description: After the House passed H.R. 1599 by 275-150 in July, consumer groups are waiting to see who introduces a Senate version. The Organic Consumers Association reports Sen. John Hoeven may sponsor one, names 12 Democrats who could back it, and offers talking points and a petition.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Politics, #vivvo-import

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f5/c2/f5c28c07-f2c7-440d-8161-125a09d9bc91/content/images/2026/08/06e3368bf7d2b15c1195ce578ebb6bd56ba9e555.jpg)

**News and Commentary**

**Groups Urge Action to Fight DARK Act in U.S. Senate**

*Word on the street is that Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) may sponsor a Senate version of the DARK Act as soon as Congress returns from August recess. A Democrat and Republican Sponsor are both needed to forward a bill in the U.S. Senate.*

**WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 26, 2015) –** Now that the U.S. House of Representatives onJuly 23 voted 275-150 to pass H.R. 1599 – dubbed the DARK Act because it calls for stripping states and Congress of the right to require GMO labeling – consumer groups are waiting to see who introduces a version of the bill in the U.S. Senate. A Democrat and Republican sponsor are both needed.

Word on the street, reports the [Organic Consumers Association](http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=70545129&msgid=1957721&act=PEAS&c=607027&destination=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.organicconsumers.org%2Fnews%2Fcan-monsanto-find-democrat-cosponsor-senate-version-dark-act&ref=foodconsumer.org), is that Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) may sponsor a bill as soon as Congress returns from August recess, unless an [anti-H.R. 1599 editorial](http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=70545129&msgid=1957721&act=PEAS&c=607027&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fbismarcktribune.com%2Fnews%2Fopinion%2Feditorial%2Farticle%5F89f5e5a8-e0a2-5a06-aebf-0b84aba81556.html&ref=foodconsumer.org) in his home state newspaper, the *Bismarck Tribune*, causes him to reconsider.

Meanwhile, OCA has identified [12 Democrats](http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=70545129&msgid=1957721&act=PEAS&c=607027&destination=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.organicconsumers.org%2Fnews%2Fcan-monsanto-find-democrat-cosponsor-senate-version-dark-act&ref=foodconsumer.org) who could potentially support a DARK Act bill in the Senate, in part because these Senators voted against a 2013 amendment to the Farm Bill that would have guaranteed states’ rights to require GMO labeling. Democratic Senators identified include Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), and others.

OCA has made DARK Act Talking Points available [here](http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=70545129&msgid=1957721&act=PEAS&c=607027&destination=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.organicconsumers.org%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fdownloads%2Fdark%5Fact%5Ftalking%5Fpoints%5F0.pdf&ref=foodconsumer.org) and a petition available [here](http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=70545129&msgid=1957721&act=PEAS&c=607027&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fsalsa3.salsalabs.com%2Fo%2F50865%2Fp%2Fdia%2Faction3%2Fcommon%2Fpublic%2F%3Faction%5FKEY%3D17343&ref=foodconsumer.org).

OCA, along with other leading consumer advocacy groups including Center for Food Safety, Food Democracy Now!, Just Label It, GMO Inside, Food and Water Watch and others offer a number of resources to contact Senators urging them not to support a version of H.R. 1599 in the Senate.

They all emphasize one thing in common: protect our right to label GMOs and contact your legislators today before the DARK Act gets one step closer to law.

You can contact your Senator here: [http://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/](http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=70545129&msgid=1957721&act=PEAS&c=607027&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.senate.gov%2Fsenators%2Fcontact%2F&ref=foodconsumer.org).

Here’s how to contact these groups and get involved:

- Organic Consumers Association – [www.organicconsumers.org](http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=70545129&msgid=1957721&act=PEAS&c=607027&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.organicconsumers.org&ref=foodconsumer.org)
- Center for Food Safety – [www.centerforfoodsafety.org](http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=70545129&msgid=1957721&act=PEAS&c=607027&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.centerforfoodsafety.org&ref=foodconsumer.org)
- Food Democracy Now! – [www.fooddemocracynow.org](http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=70545129&msgid=1957721&act=PEAS&c=607027&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fooddemocracynow.org&ref=foodconsumer.org)
- GMO Inside – [www.gmoinside.org](http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=70545129&msgid=1957721&act=PEAS&c=607027&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gmoinside.org&ref=foodconsumer.org)
- Just Label It – [www.justlabelit.org](http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=70545129&msgid=1957721&act=PEAS&c=607027&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.justlabelit.org&ref=foodconsumer.org)
- Food and Water Watch – [www.foodandwaterwatch.org](http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=70545129&msgid=1957721&act=PEAS&c=607027&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.foodandwaterwatch.org&ref=foodconsumer.org)
- U.S. Right to Know – [www.usrtk.org](http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=70545129&msgid=1957721&act=PEAS&c=607027&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.usrtk.org&ref=foodconsumer.org)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f5/c2/f5c28c07-f2c7-440d-8161-125a09d9bc91/content/images/2026/08/a67daabec4a13bd63075d7004aa916e35988fd7c.jpg)

*Steven Hoffman is Director of* [*Compass Natural*](http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=70545129&msgid=1957721&act=PEAS&c=607027&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.compassnaturalmarketing.com&ref=foodconsumer.org)*, providing brand marketing, PR, social media, and strategic business development services to natural, organic and sustainable products businesses. He is former Editorial Director of* Natural Foods Merchandiser Magazine*, former Program Director of Natural Products Expo, co-founder of the LOHAS Forum, and served as lead fundraiser on the Prop 37 in CA, I-522 in WA, and Prop 105 in CO ballot initiatives to label GMO foods. Contact* [*steve@compassnatural.com*](mailto:steve@compassnatural.com)*.*

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