in the mid-1960s, a consumer would find 8,000 items, which was more than five times the 1,500 items they found in that same market just 20 years previously. Before this Act was passed, measurements regarding quantity of goods were not required on packages, there was also no standards in place assuring that similar products had equivalent weights, and there were no regulations in place pledging that packages had a consistent amount of product every time. An investigation was done by the Senate committee that discovered that the manufacturers of potato chips sent them to market in a variation of 73 different weights under 3 pounds." President Johnson voiced his opinion several times on the issue, discussing a common problem, "The housewife often needs a scale, a yardstick and a slide rule to make a rational choice. She has enough to do without performing mathematics in the stores." It was hard to know just how much of an ingredient was needed for a recipe, for example. President Johnson also proclaims, "The Government must do its share to ensure the shopper against deception, to remedy confusion, and to eliminate questionable practices." Johnson was a strong supporter of this act and he believed that it was the government's responsibility to do something to help the American consumer. Legislative History The Fair Packaging and Labeling Act was originally introduced in the House on January 3, 1961. The bill lost momentum but was eventually re-introduced into the Senate on February 3, 1965 and it was debated in the Senate first. Senator Philip Hart (MI) introduced the legislation, as he was a main proponent. He also introduced the legislation on behalf of Senators Bartlett, Metcalf, Mondale, Muskie, and Neuberger. The bill was debated for the first time, in the Senate, on May 27, 1966. It was later passed to the House on June 9, 1966. On October 3, 1966, the House made a few amendments and then passed it back to the Senate. The Senate disagreed to these amendments and asked for a conference. A conference report was created and then submitted to the House, where it was agreed to. The conference report was then submitted in the Senate and agreed to. After, the bill was sent to President Johnson to be signed. When Johnson signed the Fair Packaging Act, he did so alongside three other bills, two education bills and a "slum rehabilitation program" bill.