Boehner’s District Suffers From E. Coli Outbreak As House Republicans Try To Gut Food Safety

[Donnachaidh]

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/09/29/332360/boehner-coli-food-safety/

As ThinkProgress reported yesterday, despite yet another outbreak of food-borne illness — this time stemming from listeria infected cantaloupes — congressional Republicans are still trying to cut back on the nation’s food safety regulations. The tainted melons have caused 16 deaths so far, making this the deadliest outbreak in more than a decade, and it comes just a month after salmonella-tainted turkey forced food-giant Cargill into the third-largest food recall on record.

Lost in the well-deserved focus on the listeria outbreak is the fact that another giant food-producer, Tyson Fresh Meats, was forced this week to recall more than 130,000 pounds of ground beef due to E. Coli contamination. And this particular breakdown in food safety should earn the attention of the man leading the GOP in its slash-and-burn approach to the budget, Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), as four children in his district were sickened by the meat:

The recall of 65 tons of ground beef that might be contaminated with E. coli has hit close to home for House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio.

The meat, recalled today by Tyson Fresh Meats, was shipped to 16 states…WCPO, ABC’s affiliate in Cincinnati, reported today, “four children became ill after eating the meat with their family in Butler County, Ohio, in the second week of September.” “A 9-year-old child was hospitalized for about 10 days with severe diarrhea,” the station reported.

More at the link --

[classof56]

1. And the crowd cheered...

Sorry...guess I'm becoming far too cynical, but that's the first thought that came to my mind: The TeaParty Types, the ones who cheered death and booed the gay soldier, are gonna love this.

A pox on all of them.

Tired Old Cynic

[MADem]

2. Karma--he ought to invite his GOP pals over for burgers and melons. nt

[indepat]

3. A microcosm of what damage to society the Rethuglicans' budget priorities will bring

about. :patriot:

[femrap]

4. Is Orangeman

going to pick up the Medical bill for his constituents???

[stevedeshazer]

5. That's some serious irony there.

Yep.

[Tippy]

7. You can say that again....

[stevedeshazer]

8. Okay.

That's some serious irony there.

:)

[GreenTea]

6. Allowing corporations to do as they please, deregulation means no responsibility for their crimes

Doing anything for profits, keeping everything they do secret, no oversight, the corrupt corporations policing themselves - that's deregulation what the slimy republicans are always screaming for.

[HopeHoops]

9. Maybe FEMA could make an emergency shipment of toilet paper and hand soap.