The Senate on Thursday passed and sent to President Bush a catch-all spending bill that delays mandatory country-of-origin labels on red meats for two years, despite Democratic arguments the labels would assuage consumer fears of mad cow disease.
The U.S. meat industry and food retailers lobbied to postpone the labeling law, which they say is too costly and will be a record-keeping headache. Consumer and farm groups generally support the labels as a way to distinguish U.S. products on the grocery shelf.
Minority Leader Tom Daschle said Democrats would try later this year to overturn the two-year delay on country-of-origin labels for meat sold in American stores. The issue has taken on greater urgency since the discovery of the first U.S. case of mad cow disease in December.
But there was no agreement among the Senate leadership to guarantee a vote on the labeling issue, two staff workers said.
"These issues will not go away. We will come back on each and every one of these cases," Daschle said shortly before the Senate voted 65-28 to pass the bill. He was referring to Democratic objections on food labeling and changes in rules on overtime pay and media ownership.
Daschle said it was incomprehensible for there to be opposition to country-of-origin labels on food when "we know the origin of everything else" and many U.S. trading partners have food-origin laws.
Under a 2002 federal law, country-of-origin labels were scheduled to become mandatory on Sept. 30 for red meat, fruits, seafood, vegetables and peanuts. Language tucked into the vast omnibus spending bill postpones the deadline until 2006 for all items except fish.
Iowa Republican Charles Grassley, a leading Senate advocate of mandatory labels, has said he will look for a must-pass bill that can be used as a vehicle to overturn the delay.
The Bush administration supported the two-year delay, as did Republican leaders in Congress.
National groups speaking for cattle and hog farmers said they were working with the food industry to develop a cheaper, voluntary labeling system. Federal regulations were in place for voluntary labels but have been shunned by foodmakers.
Massachusetts Democrat Edward Kennedy said the delay in labeling showed the "power of special interests."
While advocates say country-of-origin labels can help protect consumers, critics say the labels are primarily a marketing tool. The National Pork Producers Council said the labels were "no more than a political slogan."
