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Grassley: Canada ‘intellectually dishonest’ over COOL

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley isn’t buying Canada’s objection to establishing a voluntary country of origin labeling (COOL) program in the U.S.

“It seems to me they’re being intellectually dishonest,” Grassley says. “When we do exactly what they’re doing, why wouldn’t that satisfy them?”

Canada has its own voluntary labeling program for food products. But Canadian agriculture minister Gerry Ritz says a Senate bill to establish a voluntary program in the U.S.—of which Grassley is a co-sponsor—is unacceptable to Canada. Ritz says unless Congress votes to repeal COOL, Canada will impose three billion dollars of tariffs on U.S. goods entering Canada.

Grassley accuses Canada of trying to intimidate the U.S.

“Can you imagine 30 million people trying to intimidate the United States—or their government trying to intimidate the United States,” he says. “I think they ought to wake up—and declare victory.”

An alternative bill in the Senate would repeal COOL. The House has already voted to repeal the mandatory COOL program.

AUDIO: Excerpts from Grassley’s conference call with ag media 7/28/15