At last, our food will be safe!

"I find your lack of intrusive inspections...disturbing."

Washington, D.C. - The House gave final congressional approval Tuesday to a sweeping overhaul of the way that the Food and Drug Administration regulates most of the nation's food supply.

A bill that was all but given up for dead last week was approved by the Senate late Sunday and then approved by the House on Tuesday, 215-144. The legislation, which would provide the most far-reaching changes in FDA food regulation in decades, now goes to President Barack Obama for his signature.

The bill would increase inspections of farms and food companies, require processors to have plans for preventing contamination of foods, and require importers to verify the safety of products they bring into the country. The FDA, which regulates nearly all foods except for meat and poultry, also would have the power for the first time to force companies to recall tainted products. Recalls are now conducted voluntarily.

"FDA needs a modern set of authorities to deal with the effects of our increasingly globalized food supply," said Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif.

Oh, but that's okay. It's already late December, and next month Roy Rogers the Republicans will ride in and save us from all this lame-duck nonsense. Right?

Uh...right?

Republican critics attacked the bill for a Senate provision that exempts smaller producers from having plans for preventing contamination. "We've learned in our committee hearings that foodborne pathogens don't care if you're a big facility or a small facility or a big farm or a small farm," said Rep. Joseph Pitts, R-Pa.

Oh.

I'm so surprised. Aren't the republicans the party of freedom and liberty now? Weren't they all chastened and stuff? I remember hearing that on the radio. So the only reason they hate this intrusive new bill is because it isn't intrusive...enough?

This is my shocked face: :^[