1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Thank you for the work you have already done on food safety. I appreciate your vote against the funding bill that delayed the FDA Food Traceability Rule until 2028, your pushback against disruptions at federal health agencies, and your recent inquiry into the handling of the Abbott infant-formula case. I’m asking you to go further. I’m concerned that the federal food-safety system is losing capacity at the same time Americans are seeing serious outbreaks. FDA staffing cuts have affected inspections and laboratory work. Foreign food-facility inspections have fallen. CDC foodborne-illness surveillance has been reduced. Congress has also delayed a traceability rule that was supposed to help investigators identify contaminated food faster. Please use every tool available to you as a senator and as a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee to strengthen this system. I’m asking you to: • Work to restore the original timetable for the FDA Food Traceability Rule. • Protect and restore staffing for FDA inspections, laboratories, outbreak investigations, and enforcement. • Push to restore strong CDC surveillance of major foodborne illnesses. • Require public reporting on inspection rates, staffing, laboratory capacity, and outbreak-response times. • Use hearings, appropriations, legislation, and oversight to identify where recent cuts have weakened food safety and press the responsible agencies to fix it. I know you cannot reverse executive-branch decisions on your own. But Congress controls funding, writes the law, and has a duty to conduct oversight. This should be an area where Republicans and Democrats can work together. People should be able to trust that the food they buy for their families is safe. Thank you for what you’ve already done. Please make rebuilding our food-safety system a priority.