Congressman Adrian Smith's comments on his vote against H.R. 2749, a bill which would significantly expand the role of the FDA in agriculture are availble by clicking here.

The bill, which passed the House this week, originated out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and was never brought before the House Agriculture Committee to allow members to improve the legislation. 

New registration authorities for food processing facilities create what amounts to a federal license to operate.  Smith expressed his concern the hundreds of millions of dollars in associated fees will represent a new tax on food production, which along with other regulatory burdens will increase the cost of food for consumers and increasingly force food production out of the country.