Originally published May 5 2014
Momentum builds in Congress to end raw milk prohibition nationwide
by Jonathan Benson, staff writer
(NaturalNews) Buying and selling raw dairy products across state lines has been outlawed in the U.S. since the late 1980s, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decided that Americans were no longer free to make their own food decisions without government approval. But this senseless and unconstitutional policy of prohibition could soon become history if a bipartisan effort to restore food freedom reaches a breaking point in Congress.
The Interstate Milk Freedom Act of 2014, or H.R. 4307, would lift current FDA restrictions that prohibit all interstate trade involving raw milk. Under the new legislation, farmers who produce raw milk and sell it to eager customers looking for a more nutritious alternative to commercial swill would no longer have to worry about being fined, for instance, or raided at gunpoint by government goons with control issues.
According to Campaign for Liberty, the bill, which was introduced by Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, already has broad support on both sides of the aisle. At least 20 lawmakers, including both Republicans and Democrats, have signed on to the legislation which seeks to protect America's family-scale farmers and restore freedom of food choice for all Americans.
"The 'Milk Freedom Act of 2014' would provide relief to local farmers, small producers, and others who have been harassed, fined, and in some cases even prosecuted for the 'crime' of distributing unpasteurized milk," reads a press release recently issued by Rep. Massie. "This bill would prohibit the federal government from interfering with the interstate traffic of raw milk products."
States that recognize raw milk freedom should be free to trade with one another
A companion bill known as the Interstate Milk Freedom Act of 2014 also addresses the issue of raw milk sales and trade between states where raw milk is already legal. The bill, known as H.R. 4308, would provision that these states be allowed to do business with one another without risking prosecution by the federal government.
According to the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, 11 states currently allow retail sales of raw milk, while another 26 states recognize some form of legal sale either directly from the farm or through farm shares. Each of these states would realize newfound freedom as a result of H.R. 4308, and farmers within these states would be able to expand their businesses and increase the availability of a product that bears increasingly high demand.
"[T]he 'Interstate Milk Freedom Act of 2014' would prevent the federal government from interfering with trade of unpasteurized, natural milk or milk products between states where distribution or sale of such products is already legal," explains a corresponding press release.
Together, the two bills would end the government's reign of terror over individuals who choose to produce or purchase foods that may not necessarily be mainstream, but that many people want. The government does not have the authority to govern food purchasing decisions, nor does it have any authoritative right to determine what types of foods people can sell or consume.
"Today, many people are paying more attention to the food they eat, what it contains, and how it is processed," says Rep. Massie. "Raw milk, which has been with us for thousands of years, is making a comeback among these discerning consumers. Personal choices as basic as 'what we feed our families' should not be limited by the federal government."
According to WisFarmer.com, the following legislators are co-sponsoring the Interstate Milk Freedom Act of 2014:
Paul Broun (R-GA), Walter Jones (R-NC), H. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Andy Harris (R-MD), Raul Labrador (R-ID), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Mick Mulvaney (R-SC), Ted Poe (R-TX), Jared Polis (D-CO), Scott Rigell (R-VA), Steve Stockman (R-TX), Marlin Stutzman (R-IN), Dana Rohrbacher (R-CA), Louie Gohmert (R-TX) and Scott Perry (R-PA).
Sources for this article include:
http://www.campaignforliberty.org
http://www.washingtontimes.com
http://www.wisfarmer.com
http://www.farmtoconsumer.org
http://science.naturalnews.com
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