1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Thank you for opposing legislation that delayed enforcement of the FDA Food Traceability Rule until 2028 and for your broader work on government accountability and oversight. I’m writing because I’m concerned that the federal food-safety system is losing capacity at the same time Americans are continuing to face serious foodborne-illness 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 implementation of a traceability rule that was intended to help investigators identify contaminated food faster and remove it from the market. Please use the tools available to you in the House to help strengthen this system. I’m asking you to: • Sponsor or co-sponsor legislation restoring the original timetable for the FDA Food Traceability Rule. • Support funding that protects and restores FDA food-safety staffing, laboratory capacity, inspections, outbreak investigations, and enforcement. • Push for restoration of strong CDC surveillance of major foodborne illnesses. • Work with California’s congressional delegation, including Republicans, to build support for stronger food-safety protections. • Request GAO or inspector-general review of how recent staffing and inspection reductions have affected food-safety enforcement. • Press House committee leaders for hearings and public reporting on inspection rates, staffing levels, laboratory capacity, and outbreak-response times. I know you do not control the agencies involved and that you do not sit on the committees with primary jurisdiction over FDA funding. But you can sponsor legislation, build coalitions, request independent oversight, and use your voice in Congress to keep this issue from being ignored. Food safety should not be partisan. Families should be able to trust that the food they buy is safe. Thank you for what you have already done. Please make restoring federal food-safety capacity a priority.