Thank you for contacting me to express your views about the humane treatment of egg-laying hens and other farm animals. I appreciate the opportunity to learn your views and share mine. Each year, American egg farmers produce roughly 250 eggs for every person in the United States. Of the over 280 million laying hens used to produce these eggs, over 95 percent are caged, many in barren battery cages, which offer extremely limited space and mobility. Not only do these cages provide insufficient room for hens to spread their wings, but many confine the animals to only 48 square inches of space. Recognizing the impact barren battery cages have both on hens and food safety, in July 2010, the Humane Society of the United States and the United Egg Producers reached a joint agreement to pursue federal legislation to set clear guidelines for improved cages. On April 25, 2013, Representative Kurt Shrader (D-OR) introduced the Egg Products Inspection Act Amendments, H.R. 1731. This legislation would codify the agreement for the new cages that give hens about twice as much room as the old cages and include perches and enclosed spaces known as nest boxes. Some are concerned that this legislation may not go far enough in protecting egg-laying hens and would pre-empt stronger state laws. The legislation has been referred to the House Committee on Agriculture, on which I do not serve. However, I will be sure to keep your view in mind should this legislation come to the House floor for a vote. On July 11, 2013, the House passed the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act, H.R. 6242, which reauthorizes many federal agriculture programs. I voted against this legislation, which contains a provision that would prohibit states from setting a standards for agricultural products imported from other states if the standard exceeds the federal and state law where the product is produced. This provision could severely limit state-level efforts to improve the treatment of egg-laying hens. Before H.R. 6242 becomes law, it must be reconciled with similar legislation passed by the Senate that does not include the provision regarding interstate commerce. Ensuring the humane treatment of laying hens is sensible policy and helps protect the safety of American eggs. Throughout my career in Congress, I have advocated for food safety reforms that update our outdated food safety infrastructure to reflect the realities of modern production, transportation, and consumption. In January of 2011, President Barack Obama signed into law the landmark Food Safety Modernization Act, which not only updated our food safety laws but also included two provisions I sponsored that established mandatory recall authority for the FDA and created pilot programs to enhance the traceability of tainted food. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on this issue. Please feel free to visit my website at degette.house.gov. There you can sign-up for my e-mail newsletter and stay up-to-date with events in Congress. Sincerely, Diana DeGette Member of Congress
Posted on: Fri, 08 Aug 2014 23:19:47 +0000
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