The House of Representatives approved legislation on Friday that was introduced by U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) to simplify FDA labeling rules.
The Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act, H.R. 2017, aims to bring clarity to the FDA’s nearly 400-page menu labeling and nutritional disclosure rule. McMorris Rodgers, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, introduced the bill in April.
“Prudent, effective labeling standards don’t come in the form of one-size-fits-all rule set forth by unelected bureaucrats; this commonsense bill takes power out of D.C. and puts it back in the hands of consumers and small business owners,” McMorris Rodgers said. “It’s a win-win.”
U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said the FDA’s labeling rule exemplifies “a top-down, big government approach” to regulation.
“Its impact is wide-ranging and will negatively impact local pizza joints, convenience stores, grocery stores, amusement parks and movie theaters, you name it,” Upton said. “The administration’s own estimates state this regulation could cost American businesses $1 billion to comply and 500,000 hours of paperwork. That’s a huge chunk of time and money that could be better spent hiring more folks, or creating an improved experience for customers.”
More than 200 members of the business community have voiced support for McMorris Rodgers’s Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act.