Egg crisis brings back interest in food-safety bill
Posted: 08.26.2010 at 9:22 AM

The legislation stalled in the Senate in 2009

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The massive outbreak of salmonella in eggs may have re-sparked interest in a stalled food-safety bill.

A bill designed to overhaul the food safety system that hasn't been updated in decades, passed the House in 2009, but stalled in the senate.

The bill would have expanded the powers of federal regulators to police food manufactures.

Among many other things, it would have required more frequent government inspections of food manufacturing facilites.

While Congressman Aaron Schock (R - IL 18)was in New Philadelphia Wednesday, August 25th KHQA asked him if this outbreak is a call for a bill like this to be passed.

"I'm not one who thinks we just need more and more laws. We just need to enforce the ones on the books. This didn't happen because the USDA didn't provide oversight, it was the man was purposefully doing somethings he shouldn't have," said Schock.

The food-safety bill did have bipartisan support in the Senate, but still did not pass.