Tim tours drought conditions in South Dakota

Throughout my years in Congress, I have worked tirelessly to promote Country of Origin Labeling (COOL). As the author of this program, I have seen broad bipartisan support of COOL in the United States Congress, along with strong public support. In fact, this program is not only widely supported by approximately 92 percent of our nation's consumers, but also overwhelmingly by our nation's producers. This program is not just a consumer right-to-know issue; it is a valuable marketing tool for ranchers and farmers.

President Bush signed mandatory COOL into law in the 2002 Farm Bill, with an implementation date of September 30, 2004. However, COOL has fallen victim to a series of backroom deals and closed door discussions. First, a two-year delay was achieved in the Fiscal Year 2004 omnibus appropriations bill. Then, because of an incredibly corrupt process during the Fiscal Year 2006 Agriculture Appropriations Conference Committee, the program was postponed until September 30, 2008.

After over six years since COOL became law, I am pleased to report that the 2008 Farm Bill contains a common-sense approach to implement COOL on September 30, 2008. The implementation of COOL will offer consumers the choice they want on the grocery store shelf, and offer our nation's farmers and ranchers an opportunity to promote their US-origin product.

As the implementation process of COOL moves forward, I will continue to work closely with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and my colleagues on the Senate Agriculture Committee to ensure that this program is carried out as Congress intended.

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Learn More About Disaster Assistance | The 2002 Farm Bill | Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) | Nutrition Information