McMorris Rodgers: FDA Regulations Are Suffocating Eastern Washington’s Economy and Innovation

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) released the following statement on the Food and Drug Administration’s recently announced expansive menu regulations:

“The Food and Drug Administration has acted recklessly, mandating regulations without considering the impact they will have on Eastern Washington employees, business owners, and on our local economy. Adhering to these burdensome requirements will be extremely costly – in both time and resources – for local restaurants, delivery chains, and movie theaters, and they will stifle growth at grocery stores like Yokes and Rosauers. This proposal is one of the most expensive regulations ever – with expected costs being over $1.2 billion with 498,508 hours of paperwork. 

"As local supermarkets like Rosauers innovate and grow, every deli and salad bar offering – which are constantly changing – would have to endure costly tests to provide required labeling. And for pizzerias like Domino's, every potential toppings combination – well over 5 million options – would have to be calculated and publicized. This requirement is simply not workable. Additionally, these costs and responsibilities fall not on the FDA, but instead on the shoulders of independent franchise owners. The FDA’s action suffocates the innovative potential of the food industry, making it harder for local businesses to expand and grow from the bottom up. Finally, overreaching federal regulations are hitting America's middle class where it hurts the most: their wallets.

"These regulations go far beyond original legislative intent, epitomizing the federal government's habit of bureaucratic overreach. It is our responsibility to reverse the overbearing regulations of powerful government agencies, and represent the needs of American entrepreneurs. I will continue to advocate for the principles contained in H.R. 1249, the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2013, which include reasonable, commonsense nutritional reforms that don't hurt business owners and middle class families in Eastern Washington with unnecessary costs."