Food Safety Bill

Matthew wrote a nice blog about the Food Safety Bill, and I like how he supported with the fact that shows how tainted peanut butter products sickened over 20,000 people and killed nine people in 2008. In addition to that:

Food expert Michael Pollan calls this “The best opportunity in a generation to improve the safety of the American food supply." If the legislation does ultimately pass, the remaining question is whether Congress will provide FDA with funding to implement it. This bill will give FDA much more authority when it goes in for an inspection, but it doesn’t provide money to actually do the inspection. Getting additional money from Congress in the current economic climate will be challenging.

U.S National Governmant

Our National Government also known as Federal Government consists of three branches: Executive (President), Legislative (Senate and House of Representatives) and Judicial (Supreme Court and lower Courts).

The Executive Branch:
This branch consists of the President, Vice President and 15 Cabinet-level departments such as State, Defense, Interior, Transportation and Education. The president carries out federal laws and recommends new ones, directs national defense and foreign policy, and performs ceremonial duties. Powers include directing government, commanding the Armed Forces, dealing with international powers, acting as chief law enforcement officer, and vetoing laws. A crucial function of the executive branch is to ensure that laws are carried out and enforced to facilitate such day-to-day responsibilities of the federal government as collecting taxes, safeguarding the homeland and representing the United States' political and economic interests around the world.

The Legislative Branch:
This Branch consists of the Senate and the House Of Representatives, also known as Congress. There are 100 Senators, 2 from each States and 435 Representatives in the House. The main task of these two bodies is to make the laws. Its powers include passing laws, originating spending bills (House), impeaching officials (Senate), and approving treaties (Senate).

The Judicial Branch:
This branch consists of the United States Supreme Court and lower lever federal courts. he U.S. Supreme Court has nine Justices, who are chosen by the President, confirmed by the Senate, and have a lifetime appointment. Its powers include interpreting the Constitution, reviewing laws, and deciding cases involving states' rights.

Resources: American History, Fact Monster