Invitation from Congress to Food Safety Caucus:

Congressional Food Safety Caucus

Wednesday, September 22, 2025

Rayburn Foyer

The Families' and Patients' Forum on Food Safety

AGENDA:         To inform House members about the impact of foodborne illness

9:30:    Opening remarks from Representative Sherrod Brown, Co-Chair, the Food Safety Caucus

9:30-11:30:   Families will meet with House Members and staffs on individual basis

Legislative staff will be present to discuss specific issues with attendees
Walk-ins WELCOME

11:45-12:45:   

"Three Perspectives on Food Borne Illness "

Representative Rosa DeLauro, Co-Chair of the Food Safety Caucus

· Moderater, Dr. Pamela Russo of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation;

· Sarah Moynihan , member of a family impacted by foodborne illness: commenting on the hidden scope and long-term health complications of foodborne disease;

· Barbara Kowalcyk , M.S., biostatistician and Safe Tables Our Priority (S.T.O.P.) policy analyst:  the financial burden that foodborne illness exacts on individuals, insurance companies and our society in general;

· Ann Koesterer , a Director of Internal Audit: speaking about gaps in food policy that perpetuate and exacerbate the foodborne disease crisis.

1-2:30:    Same as morning:  meetings.

2:30:      Closing remarks from Food Safety Caucus member

The Congressional Food Safety Caucus is a bi-partisan group of members interested in the issues of food safety and foodborne illness.

Safe Tables Our Priority - S.T.O.P., is a non-profit grassroots organization devoted to victim assistance, public education, and policy advocacy for safe food and public health.

S.T.O.P.'s mission is to prevent unnecessary illness and loss of life from pathogenic foodborne illness. S.T.O.P. believes that in the United States today, people should not be made needlessly ill, permanently injured or killed by pathogens such as bacteria or viruses in our food.  S.T.O.P. does not take a stand on other types of food safety issues such as pesticides. 

Each year CDC affirms that contaminated food causes millions of illnesses and thousands of deaths in the United States. Although no one is safe, those with weakened immune systems, particularly children and the elderly, are most vulnerable to death or permanent disability.