Food-safety advocates were pleased to see increased funding for the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System for Enteric Bacteria (NARMS) in the $1.1-trillion spending bill President Barack Obama signed on Tuesday. The bill provides almost $2.6 billion in discretionary funding for the Food and
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Spending Bill Bans ‘Chinese Chicken’ From Federal Meal Programs
A provision included in the $1.1-trillion spending bill Congress passed last week and which is now headed to the president’s desk prevents poultry processed in China from being used in the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program (
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Senate Passes $1.1-Trillion Funding Package
Late Saturday night, the U.S. Senate passed a $1.1-trillion spending package to fund most of the federal government for the rest of the fiscal year. The vote count on the so-called “cromnibus” was a bipartisan 56-40.
On Thursday, President Barack Obama stated he would sign the bill despite the administration’s
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Funding Package Inches Forward
Unsure whether the congressional spending package referred to by many in Washington, D.C., as the “cromnibus” had enough votes to pass, House GOP leaders delayed a final vote Thursday afternoon, but, after 9 p.m., they managed to pass the bill 219-206. In order to keep the government from shutting down
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Gillibrand Supports Increased FSMA Funding
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) expressed her support Thursday for additional funding for implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). In a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee, Gillibrand asked that they allocate an additional $50 million for fiscal year 2015 for FSMA. The request was in support of a letter
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Foodborne Illness Victims Request Additional FSMA Funding
Victims of foodborne illness and their families are urging Congress to appropriate additional funding for implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Several Congress members and plenty of food safety advocates have written to the leaders of the House and Senate appropriations committees this year asking that they increase
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Public Health Groups Ask Congress For More FSMA Funding
On Wednesday, the first day of the new federal fiscal year, 16 public health organizations wrote to the heads of the House and Senate Appropriations committees urging Congress to add $50 million to the Food and Drug Administration’s budget so the agency can fully implement the Food Safety Modernization Act
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House Debates Agriculture Appropriations Bill
The House of Representatives debated the agriculture appropriations bill for fiscal year 2015 on Wednesday. An amendment regarding funding for the Agriculture Department’s Office of Inspector General joined the Appropriations Committee’s amendments on horse slaughter and Chinese-processed poultry. Reps. Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Jared Huffman (D-CA) offered an amendment to
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Senators Request ‘Robust’ Funding for Food Safety
Ahead of Thursday’s coinciding congressional hearings on budgets for the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS), U.S. Sens. Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) sent a letter to their colleagues, asking them to support “robust” food-safety funding. 
“We ask that the
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FY 2014 Appropriations Bill Includes Directives for USDA, FDA
Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees released their consolidated appropriations bill for FY 2014 on Monday night, and the House of Representatives passed it with bipartisan support on Wednesday. It is also expected to pass the U.S. Senate when it comes to a vote by the end of
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