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REMARKS BY:  DONNA E. SHALALA, SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
PLACE:	     Announcing the President's Council on Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.
DATE:	     August 25, 1998

President's Council on Food Safety

Mark Twain once said, "part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside." Our job is to make sure that fight is always healthy -- and never harmful.

Today, without question, our nation has one of the safest food supplies in the world. That's because we have the best food safety agencies in the world. We have the highest standards, the toughest inspections, and the best research, science and methodology. And we are constantly seizing on new technology and techniques to reach new frontiers in food safety. Because in this Administration, when it comes to food safety, good enough is never enough.

The President's executive order today will help create a seamless food safety net that's anchored in science. Now Congress must do its part.

First, Congress needs to support the President's Food Safety Initiative by fully funding the budget request.

Second, Congress needs to pass the President's food safety legislation. It gives the FDA greater authority over imported foods, including the power to halt imports of fruit, vegetables and other food products that fail our standards.

Third, as Secretary Glickman mentioned, Congress needs to pass the Food Safety Enforcement Act, which gives the USDA greater enforcement powers over unsafe meats and poultry products.

Finally, the US Senate must give the FDA the strong Commissioner it needs by taking action on the confirmation of the President's nominee, Dr. Jane Henney. Dr. Henney is the right choice to lead the FDA into the new millennium. She is a nationally recognized leader in public health, a skilled manager, a dedicated reformer, a natural consensus builder and a respected scientist. As a former FDA Deputy Commissioner, Dr. Henney helped to modernize the FDA and cut red tape. In the process, she's built a reputation for working closely with consumers, physicians and industry to protect public health. All of my predecessors in the Bush and Reagan administrations have endorsed Dr. Henney. They should know -- she worked for them. It's time for the US Senate to take action on Dr. Henney's confirmation without delay.

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