McMorris Rodgers’ Statement on FDA Delay of Onerous Menu Labeling Regulation

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 1, 2017) — Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Chair of the House Republican Conference, released the below statement after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a delay of its menu labeling regulation until May 7, 2018, including a sixty day comment period for further stakeholder collaboration. The regulation was estimated to cost nearly $1 billion just for grocers. Coupled with the predicted 14.5 million hours of paperwork, the regulation was expected to be one of the most expensive and onerous regulations of the Obama administration.

“This is good news for consumer choice,” said Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers. “This onerous rule would have hoisted burdensome, unrealistic regulations on consumers and businesses alike. Our federal agencies need to bring common sense back to rulemaking, and I am glad the FDA made the decision to delay this regulation.”

This morning, the Congresswoman said on Fox News about her menu labeling legislation: “What I am asking for is common sense.” Watch her interview here:

On Sunday, the Congresswoman told Maria Bartiromo that “Obamacare had nearly a trillion dollars in increased taxes. We also saw many, many regulations–hundreds of regulations that came out of Obamacare. One of the most burdensome was the menu labeling regulation that went way beyond what was ever intended.” 

 

The announcement today is a culmination of the Congresswoman’s efforts to push back against the FDA’s rule for five years. In February, Representatives Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) and Tony Cárdenas (CA-29) introduced the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2017 (H.R. 772) in the House, and Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Angus King (I-ME) introduced a companion bill (S. 261) in the Senate.

The Congresswoman plans to continue to push for the passage of the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act to ensure businesses and consumers are protected from future onerous menu labeling regulations.

More information about the FDA regulation and the Congresswoman’s legislation to make the regulation achievable can be found here:

https://mcmorris.house.gov/common-sense-menu-labeling/

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