Press Releases
Kuster to FDA: Ensure NH Input on Food Safety Regulations Is Heard
Washington, DC,
November 14, 2013
Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) is leading a coalition of New England lawmakers in calling on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to extend the comment period for two proposed Food Safety Modernization Act rules.
In light of recent technical problems with Regulations.gov, Kuster calls for an extension of the comment period to ensure New Hampshire farmers have a chance to share feedback Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) is leading a coalition of New England lawmakers in calling on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to extend the comment period for two proposed Food Safety Modernization Act rules. In recent days, technical problems with Regulations.gov, the website where public comments are submitted, have prevented Granite Staters from submitting comments in advance of Friday’s deadline. The letter to FDA Commissioner Hamburg comes after Rep. Kuster heard from numerous constituents who experienced problems submitting comments through the website. “It came to our attention last week that Regulations.gov, the federal government’s website that provides information on proposed federal regulations and allows for the electronic submission of public comments, was experiencing technical problems that prevented the website from functioning,” the group wrote to Commissioner Hamburg. “We are gravely concerned that these problems are preventing our constituents from submitting comments on the proposed FSMA rules in advance of this Friday’s deadline. As a result, we request that the comment period for the Produce Safety and Preventive Controls rules be extended for a minimum of one additional week from the day that Regulations.gov is properly running.” “The New England Farmers Union has worked diligently and in good faith to get help educate farmers on the importance of commenting on the proposed FSMA rules,” said Roger Noonan, President of the New England Farmers Union. “The issues with the website have discouraged some of our farmers from engaging in this vitally important process. We know FDA wants to hear from farmers and we urge them to consider this request.” For months, Kuster has led efforts to ensure that Granite Staters have sufficient time and information to provide comments on the proposed food safety rules. Earlier this year, Kuster and Senator Shaheen led a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers to successfully call on the FDA to come to New England after hearing concerns about these new rules potentially burdening small farmers across the region. In August, Kuster also pushed FDA to answer specific questions raised by New Hampshire farmers about how the proposed rules will impact their operations. The full text of the letter is below: November 13, 2013 Dear Commissioner Hamburg: Thank you for your agency’s continued efforts to ensure that farmers and consumers have an opportunity to provide input on FDA’s proposed Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rules. While we appreciate that the comment period for the proposed Produce Safety and Preventive Controls rules was extended until this Friday, November 15, 2013, we write today with concerns regarding the ability of the public to submit their comments electronically. It came to our attention last week that Regulations.gov, the federal government’s website that provides information on proposed federal regulations and allows for the electronic submission of public comments, was experiencing technical problems that prevented the website from functioning. These problems persisted last week and throughout this past weekend, and the website was still nonfunctional on Monday morning. We are gravely concerned that these problems are preventing our constituents from submitting comments on the proposed FSMA rules in advance of this Friday’s deadline. As a result, we request that the comment period for the Produce Safety and Preventive Controls rules be extended for a minimum of one additional week from the day that Regulations.gov is properly running. It is inexcusable to close a public comment period if the public has not been able to submit their comments. We appreciate your continued willingness to ensure that the voices of the American people are heard, and we urge you to extend the public comment period for the Produce Safety and Preventive Controls rules. Thank you for your consideration of our request. We look forward to your timely response. Sincerely, Rep. Ann McLane Kuster (NH-02) ### |