WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - In an effort to provide relief for the nation's restaurants, grocery and convenient stores, the House approved legislation Friday to scale back regulations requiring nutrition information on menus.
The House voted 266 to 144 in favor of the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act, with 33 Democrats joining with most Republicans to pass the bill.
The bill would replace a Food and Drug Administration rule requiring restaurant and retail establishments to provide calorie information on their menus and instead give them flexibility to choose among several different ways of displaying the information.
Supporters of the legislation argue the rule is overly burdensome, suggesting some business would be required to include the calories of every potential sandwich, salad, or pizza topping combination.
The bill's author, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., said Congress must ensure America's job creators have the flexibility they need to grow their businesses, hire more employees, and serve their customers.
'That's why I introduced this bill - because prudent, effective labeling standards don't come in the form of one-size-fits-all rule set forth by unelected bureaucrats,' McMorris Rodgers said.
She added, 'I'm grateful for my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their support in getting this bill through the House, and now I encourage the Senate to follow our lead before the FDA's rule has an irreversible impact on America's businesses.'
Meanwhile, opponents claim the rule is limited to standard menu items and would allow consumers to make informed choices at a time of record obesity rates.
The White House argued the legislation would reduce access to nutrition information and likely create confusion by introducing a great deal of variability into how calories are declared.
Nonetheless, the administration stopped short of threatening to veto the bill, which faces an uncertain future in the Senate.
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