How Your Senator Voted on GMO Labeling

Below is a list of the various senators and how they voted June 21st, 2012 on the Agricultural Reform Act amendment to label genetically engineered food. Check to see how yours voted. Note you can look them up by their name of by state.  If they voted yes, let them know you appreciate it. If they voted no, tell them you want them to support labeling of GMO food next time. Once you have found how your senator voted, just click here to contact your senator. 

 
    XML U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 112^th Congress - 2^nd Session

as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate

Vote Summary

Question: On the Amendment (Sanders Amdt. No. 2310 )
Vote Number:	161	Vote Date:	June 21, 2012, 12:36 PM
Required For Majority:	3/5	Vote Result:	Amendment Rejected
Amendment Number:	S.Amdt. 2310 to S. 3240 (Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012)
Statement of Purpose:	To permit States to require that any food, beverage, or other edible product offered for sale have a label on indicating that the food, beverage, or other edible product contains a genetically engineered ingredient.

Vote Counts:	YEAs	26
	NAYs	73
	Not Voting	1

Vote Summary

By Senator Name

By Vote Position

By Home State

Alphabetical by Senator Name

Akaka (D-HI), Yea Alexander (R-TN), Nay Ayotte (R-NH), Nay Barrasso (R-WY), Nay Baucus (D-MT), Nay Begich (D-AK), Yea Bennet (D-CO), Yea Bingaman (D-NM), Nay Blumenthal (D-CT), Yea Blunt (R-MO), Nay Boozman (R-AR), Nay Boxer (D-CA), Yea Brown (D-OH), Nay Brown (R-MA), Nay Burr (R-NC), Nay Cantwell (D-WA), Yea Cardin (D-MD), Yea Carper (D-DE), Nay Casey (D-PA), Nay Chambliss (R-GA), Nay Coats (R-IN), Nay Coburn (R-OK), Nay Cochran (R-MS), Nay Collins (R-ME), Nay Conrad (D-ND), Nay Coons (D-DE), Nay Corker (R-TN), Nay Cornyn (R-TX), Nay Crapo (R-ID), Nay DeMint (R-SC), Nay Durbin (D-IL), Nay Enzi (R-WY), Nay Feinstein (D-CA), Yea Franken (D-MN), Nay

Gillibrand (D-NY), Nay Graham (R-SC), Nay Grassley (R-IA), Nay Hagan (D-NC), Nay Harkin (D-IA), Nay Hatch (R-UT), Nay Heller (R-NV), Nay Hoeven (R-ND), Nay Hutchison (R-TX), Nay Inhofe (R-OK), Nay Inouye (D-HI), Yea Isakson (R-GA), Nay Johanns (R-NE), Nay Johnson (D-SD), Yea Johnson (R-WI), Nay Kerry (D-MA), Yea Kirk (R-IL), Not Voting Klobuchar (D-MN), Nay Kohl (D-WI), Nay Kyl (R-AZ), Nay Landrieu (D-LA), Nay Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea Leahy (D-VT), Yea Lee (R-UT), Nay Levin (D-MI), Nay Lieberman (ID-CT), Yea Lugar (R-IN), Nay Manchin (D-WV), Yea McCain (R-AZ), Nay McCaskill (D-MO), Nay McConnell (R-KY), Nay Menendez (D-NJ), Nay Merkley (D-OR), Yea Mikulski (D-MD), Yea

Moran (R-KS), Nay Murkowski (R-AK), Yea Murray (D-WA), Yea Nelson (D-FL), Nay Nelson (D-NE), Nay Paul (R-KY), Nay Portman (R-OH), Nay Pryor (D-AR), Nay Reed (D-RI), Yea Reid (D-NV), Nay Risch (R-ID), Nay Roberts (R-KS), Nay Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea Rubio (R-FL), Nay Sanders (I-VT), Yea Schumer (D-NY), Nay Sessions (R-AL), Nay Shaheen (D-NH), Nay Shelby (R-AL), Nay Snowe (R-ME), Nay Stabenow (D-MI), Nay Tester (D-MT), Yea Thune (R-SD), Nay Toomey (R-PA), Nay Udall (D-CO), Nay Udall (D-NM), Yea Vitter (R-LA), Nay Warner (D-VA), Nay Webb (D-VA), Nay Whitehouse (D-RI), Yea Wicker (R-MS), Nay Wyden (D-OR), Yea

Vote Summary

By Senator Name

By Vote Position

By Home State

Grouped By Vote Position

YEAs ---26
Akaka (D-HI) Begich (D-AK) Bennet (D-CO) Blumenthal (D-CT) Boxer (D-CA) Cantwell (D-WA) Cardin (D-MD) Feinstein (D-CA) Inouye (D-HI)	Johnson (D-SD) Kerry (D-MA) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Lieberman (ID-CT) Manchin (D-WV) Merkley (D-OR) Mikulski (D-MD) Murkowski (R-AK)	Murray (D-WA) Reed (D-RI) Rockefeller (D-WV) Sanders (I-VT) Tester (D-MT) Udall (D-NM) Whitehouse (D-RI) Wyden (D-OR)

NAYs ---73
Alexander (R-TN) Ayotte (R-NH) Barrasso (R-WY) Baucus (D-MT) Bingaman (D-NM) Blunt (R-MO) Boozman (R-AR) Brown (D-OH) Brown (R-MA) Burr (R-NC) Carper (D-DE) Casey (D-PA) Chambliss (R-GA) Coats (R-IN) Coburn (R-OK) Cochran (R-MS) Collins (R-ME) Conrad (D-ND) Coons (D-DE) Corker (R-TN) Cornyn (R-TX) Crapo (R-ID) DeMint (R-SC) Durbin (D-IL) Enzi (R-WY)	Franken (D-MN) Gillibrand (D-NY) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Hagan (D-NC) Harkin (D-IA) Hatch (R-UT) Heller (R-NV) Hoeven (R-ND) Hutchison (R-TX) Inhofe (R-OK) Isakson (R-GA) Johanns (R-NE) Johnson (R-WI) Klobuchar (D-MN) Kohl (D-WI) Kyl (R-AZ) Landrieu (D-LA) Lee (R-UT) Levin (D-MI) Lugar (R-IN) McCain (R-AZ) McCaskill (D-MO) McConnell (R-KY) Menendez (D-NJ)	Moran (R-KS) Nelson (D-FL) Nelson (D-NE) Paul (R-KY) Portman (R-OH) Pryor (D-AR) Reid (D-NV) Risch (R-ID) Roberts (R-KS) Rubio (R-FL) Schumer (D-NY) Sessions (R-AL) Shaheen (D-NH) Shelby (R-AL) Snowe (R-ME) Stabenow (D-MI) Thune (R-SD) Toomey (R-PA) Udall (D-CO) Vitter (R-LA) Warner (D-VA) Webb (D-VA) Wicker (R-MS)

Not Voting - 1
Kirk (R-IL)

Vote Summary

By Senator Name

By Vote Position

By Home State

Grouped by Home State

Alabama:	Sessions (R-AL), Nay	Shelby (R-AL), Nay
Alaska:	Begich (D-AK), Yea	Murkowski (R-AK), Yea
Arizona:	Kyl (R-AZ), Nay	McCain (R-AZ), Nay
Arkansas:	Boozman (R-AR), Nay	Pryor (D-AR), Nay
California:	Boxer (D-CA), Yea	Feinstein (D-CA), Yea
Colorado:	Bennet (D-CO), Yea	Udall (D-CO), Nay
Connecticut:	Blumenthal (D-CT), Yea	Lieberman (ID-CT), Yea
Delaware:	Carper (D-DE), Nay	Coons (D-DE), Nay
Florida:	Nelson (D-FL), Nay	Rubio (R-FL), Nay
Georgia:	Chambliss (R-GA), Nay	Isakson (R-GA), Nay
Hawaii:	Akaka (D-HI), Yea	Inouye (D-HI), Yea
Idaho:	Crapo (R-ID), Nay	Risch (R-ID), Nay
Illinois:	Durbin (D-IL), Nay	Kirk (R-IL), Not Voting
Indiana:	Coats (R-IN), Nay	Lugar (R-IN), Nay
Iowa:	Grassley (R-IA), Nay	Harkin (D-IA), Nay
Kansas:	Moran (R-KS), Nay	Roberts (R-KS), Nay
Kentucky:	McConnell (R-KY), Nay	Paul (R-KY), Nay
Louisiana:	Landrieu (D-LA), Nay	Vitter (R-LA), Nay
Maine:	Collins (R-ME), Nay	Snowe (R-ME), Nay
Maryland:	Cardin (D-MD), Yea	Mikulski (D-MD), Yea
Massachusetts:	Brown (R-MA), Nay	Kerry (D-MA), Yea
Michigan:	Levin (D-MI), Nay	Stabenow (D-MI), Nay
Minnesota:	Franken (D-MN), Nay	Klobuchar (D-MN), Nay
Mississippi:	Cochran (R-MS), Nay	Wicker (R-MS), Nay
Missouri:	Blunt (R-MO), Nay	McCaskill (D-MO), Nay
Montana:	Baucus (D-MT), Nay	Tester (D-MT), Yea
Nebraska:	Johanns (R-NE), Nay	Nelson (D-NE), Nay
Nevada:	Heller (R-NV), Nay	Reid (D-NV), Nay
New Hampshire:	Ayotte (R-NH), Nay	Shaheen (D-NH), Nay
New Jersey:	Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea	Menendez (D-NJ), Nay
New Mexico:	Bingaman (D-NM), Nay	Udall (D-NM), Yea
New York:	Gillibrand (D-NY), Nay	Schumer (D-NY), Nay
North Carolina:	Burr (R-NC), Nay	Hagan (D-NC), Nay
North Dakota:	Conrad (D-ND), Nay	Hoeven (R-ND), Nay
Ohio:	Brown (D-OH), Nay	Portman (R-OH), Nay
Oklahoma:	Coburn (R-OK), Nay	Inhofe (R-OK), Nay
Oregon:	Merkley (D-OR), Yea	Wyden (D-OR), Yea
Pennsylvania:	Casey (D-PA), Nay	Toomey (R-PA), Nay
Rhode Island:	Reed (D-RI), Yea	Whitehouse (D-RI), Yea
South Carolina:	DeMint (R-SC), Nay	Graham (R-SC), Nay
South Dakota:	Johnson (D-SD), Yea	Thune (R-SD), Nay
Tennessee:	Alexander (R-TN), Nay	Corker (R-TN), Nay
Texas:	Cornyn (R-TX), Nay	Hutchison (R-TX), Nay
Utah:	Hatch (R-UT), Nay	Lee (R-UT), Nay
Vermont:	Leahy (D-VT), Yea	Sanders (I-VT), Yea
Virginia:	Warner (D-VA), Nay	Webb (D-VA), Nay
Washington:	Cantwell (D-WA), Yea	Murray (D-WA), Yea
West Virginia:	Manchin (D-WV), Yea	Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea
Wisconsin:	Johnson (R-WI), Nay	Kohl (D-WI), Nay
Wyoming:	Barrasso (R-WY), Nay	Enzi (R-WY), Nay

When GMO Food is Sold as Organic

Organic farmers whose field is contaminated with GE seed or pollen can still sell their product as organic that year.

Organic farmers are not allowed to purchase and plant genetically engineered seed. However, if their crops are contaminated by a neighbor who is growing genetically engineered food or they are sold GE (genetically engineered) seed they thought was organic, the farmer can still sell their crop as organic (even if they find out it has been contaminated) as long as they can prove they did not knowingly plant genetically engineered seed. 

Farmers have no recourse if their organic food is contaminated by GE fields.

So far farmers who have had their conventional or organic crops contaminated by GE plants have not been able to win court cases in the United States. Therefore, they are being protected by the organic labeling companies by at least allowing them to sell their contaminated food as organic. However, this does not protect the consumer. Something needs to be changed here. The farmer needs to be able to have laws that support organic farming and protect organic farmers from trespass of GE pollen on their crops.

What can we do to stop the continual growth of GE crops.  

We could stop it dead in its tracks if we simply refuse to purchase it. We can demand our food stores only purchase non GE food. There is easy to use testing for determining if a plant or seed is GE or not. Farmers, grocers and the public can purchase it. Tell all your family and friends to demand GE free food.

Which foods should always be tested?

All corn,  soy, canola, and cotton seed oil should be tested now. Even the organic ones should be tested as it is now thought that at least 3-4% of all organic corn, soy, and canola is contaminated.  The testing should be at the farmers level or the distributors level. However, anyone can be testing. Start telling your grocery store that you want your Corn (corn oil, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, corn starch, corn meal) Soy (soy protein, soy lecithin, soy oil, soy sauce, soy isolates) Canola (canola oil) Cotton (cottonseed oil to all be tested for genetically engineered genes).  Tell them you don't want to buy products that are not tested if they carry these ingredients.

Non GMO Project

There is also a third party verification from the Non GMO Project that manufacturers can use to verify their food is safe.

Dairy Food Contamination
For farmers who grow alfalfa, sell alfalfa or grow the seed, they should also be testing. If you purchase alfalfa for your dairy animals, test it or make sure the grower, distributor has tested it before buying the alfalfa. For the person who eats dairy foods, find out if the manufacturer of your dairy foods gets milk from farms that feed non-GMO alfalfa to their dairy cows/goats.

Support labeling for genetically modified foods. 

Start labeling laws in your state for genetically modified foods. Some counties have started making their county an area where you can't grow genetically engineered food. You simply get the county to pass an ordinance and it is so. Go to GMO Free Jackson County to see how they are doing it.  That is easier than going state wide.  Passing laws to make it illegal to grow GE food in your area protects the family gardens from being contaminated in your area as well as the farms.