The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to announce in the next few months that animals can be cloned for food and sold without labels. The FDA released its preliminary assessment last December, vouching for the safety of cloned foods, but this analysis was highly flawed and inadequate. In response, alarmed citizens like you sent in over 150,000 comments opposing the FDA’s plans and expressed concern over the numerous problems associated with cloning that the FDA has refused to examine.

As a result, Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) have introduced Amendment #3524 to the Farm Bill to prevent the FDA from moving forward on cloning. The Amendment asks for studies that will fill the gaps in the FDA’s assessment and address concerns over the animal welfare, economic impact, and public health implications of allowing cloned animals into the food supply.

An average of 95 percent of cloning attempts fail, resulting in disease, deformity, and premature death for the overwhelming majority of animals involved. Scientific studies consistently demonstrate that clones, as well as the surrogate mothers who carry the pregnancies, suffer greatly. What’s more, the dairy industry has stated that there is no consumer benefit to animal cloning, and is worried that the use of cloned animals will hurt small farmers and U.S. trade. Denmark has already banned cloning, and the European Union is examining the issue closely.

Given that cloning poses such a serious threat to animal welfare and jeopardizes the safety of our food supply, it is not surprising that two-thirds of Americans are opposed to animal cloning. Please support Senator Mikulski and Specter’s Amendment #3524 to stop the FDA from allowing cloned animals into the food supply. Once cloned animals taint the food supply, undetected, we cannot go back.

Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) are the managers of the Farm Bill and will determine over the next few days which amendments to accept. We urge you to contact your Senators and ask them to express their SUPPORT to Senators Harkin and Chambliss for the Mikulski-Specter Amendment #3524 to the Farm Bill that would prevent the FDA from moving forward on animal cloning until the relevant concerns can be addressed.

You can find your Senators’ contact information by entering your zip code at www.Congress.org.

Please call or write today! A sample letter is provided below. However, it is even more effective if you can personalize it.

Dear [Decision Maker],

I am contacting you to urge your support for the Mikulski-Specter Amendment #3524 to the Senate version of the Farm Bill. This Amendment addresses the essential need for a more complete assessment of the public health, animal welfare, and economic impacts of cloning animals for food before the FDA makes a final decision.

The FDA released a preliminary assessment last December regarding the safety of food products derived from cloned animals and their progeny. However, this assessment was widely criticized for being highly flawed and incomplete. The studies in the Mikulski-Specter Amendment address elements not included in the FDA’s initial risk assessment. These studies should generate a discussion on a variety of issues, including ethical and animal welfare concerns with animal cloning.

The fact is, more than 95% of cloning attempts fail, resulting in disease, deformity, and premature death for the overwhelming majority of animals involved. Two-thirds of Americans are opposed to cloning animals for food, and the dairy industry has stated that there is no consumer benefit to animal cloning. Many worry that concerns about the safety of the food supply and animal welfare will result in consumers rejecting cloned foods. Yet the impacts of introducing cloned animals into the food supply, unlabeled, on public health, the domestic economy, and international trade have yet to be studied. Congress must consider the ethical and animal welfare impacts before FDA moves forward and allows cloned animals on the market.

Once cloned animals taint the food supply, undetected, there will be no going back. Congress should prohibit the FDA from lifting the voluntary moratorium on animal cloning until the relevant concerns have been addressed.

Please support the Mikulski-Specter Amendment #3524 to the Farm Bill and urge Senators Harkin and Chambliss to include it in their manager’s package.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]