Jackrabbit Journal

Earlier this month, Lisa Kahn reported that the Obama administrations five-year investigation into alleged anti-trust practices by agri-giant Monsanto fizzled, and were quietly closed last fall.  She characterizes one former DOJ lawyer’s opinion, saying the administration “may have been reluctant to wage a close fight given Monsanto’s political connections.”  The result: Monsanto retains “almost total control” over our nation’s seed business, and has suggested it will keep raising its prices, which have almost doubled since 2001.  It also retains near-total-control over what are euphemistically called “genetic traits” – genetic modifications, which have had little scientific scrutiny as to their effects on either the environment or consumers.

This week, Monsanto scored again, big time.  A rider  to the federal budget contained language that gave virtual legal immunity to Monsanto for ill effects from its GMO seeds.  Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT is quoted as telling the Senate,

The provision says that when a judge finds that the USDA approved a crop illegally, the department must re-approve the crop and allow it to continue to be planted regardless of what the judge says.

Tester requested that his fellow Senators debate removing the rider from the budget, but, according to the article, Senate leaders refused to allow debate. This article, too, notes that Monsanto “spent more than $6 million last year to influence decisions in Washington.”

Monsanto’s political clout is paying big dividends.  President Obama signed the budget bill into law last week, along with its little-debated Monsanto protection clause.  Monsanto, it seems, can now do whatever it wants, with little or no risk of legal repercussion.