Congresswoman Chellie Pingree got a perfect score of 100 on Food Policy Action's National Food Scorecard. The comprehensive, non-partisan analysis rates Members of Congress for their votes on food, farming and fisheries related policies.
Celebrity chef Tom Colicchio said Pingree has become a national leader on food policy.
"Chellie Pingree is a rock star in the food movement," Colicchio said. "On issues like local food, child nutrition, sustainable farming and labeling of GMO products, she has become a champion in Congress for reforming our food policies. And now with the legislation she is about to introduce to reduce wasted food, she has once again shown that she is still working to make healthy, affordable food available to all Americans."
Colicchio announced the scorecard at a press conference in New York this morning.
Last month Pingree announced that she is introducing a comprehensive bill this fall that aims to reduce wasted foods in schools, restaurants and grocery stores and help farmers and consumers waste less as well.
Food Policy Action scored Members of Congress on votes on five bills in the Senate and ten in the House on issues ranging from reforming fishing policy, trade policy and labeling of food with GMO ingredients.
Pingree said Food Policy Action is holding elected officials accountable for their votes on issues that affect food and farming.
"These are issues that Americans care about and that affect them every day," Pingree said. "A lot of elected officials haven't caught on to how important these policies are to families who are trying to put safe, healthy, affordable food on the table. But Food Policy Action and Tom Colicchio get it, and they are making sure that Members of Congress understand how important these votes are. I'm glad they are out there doing this important work."
The full scorecard is here: http://foodpolicyaction.org/scorecard/
