WASHINGTON, June 28 – Sen. Bernie Sanders issued the following statement days before Vermont’s first-in-the nation GMO labeling law takes effect:

“On Friday, Vermont will become the first state in the nation to require GMO labeling. This is a triumph for ordinary Americans over the powerful interests of Monsanto and other multi-national food industry corporations. We cannot allow Vermont’s law to be overturned by bad federal legislation that has just been announced. I will do everything I can to defeat this bill, beginning by putting a hold on it in the Senate.

“The agreement announced by Sens. Pat Roberts and Debbie Stabenow would create a confusing, misleading and unenforceable national standard for labeling GMOs. It would impose no penalties for violating the labeling requirement, making the law essentially meaningless.

“This isn’t controversial. The overwhelming majority of Americans favor GMO labeling. People have a right to know what is in the food they eat.”