House of Representatives

Congress broke for the August recess on Friday and won’t be back in the Capitol until Sept. 8. One of the many pieces of legislative business left at a standstill is the Fiscal Year 2015 agriculture appropriations bill, which funds the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug
Continue Reading No Movement on Agriculture Appropriations Bills as Congress Goes on Five-Week Break

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
Continue Reading House Debates Agriculture Appropriations Bill

School nutrition standards were the central focus of Thursday’s House Appropriations Committee markup. Democrats attempted to remove a provision from the agriculture appropriations bill that will give certain schools a waiver on compliance with nutrition standards. After an hour of debate, the amendment introduced by the subcommittee’s ranking member,
Continue Reading Chinese Chicken, Horse Slaughter Amendments Added to House Ag Appropriations Bill

At Thursday’s hearing with Acting Under Secretary for Food Safety Brian Ronholm, members of the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee addressed many of the controversies currently dogging the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Most discussed was the proposed modernization of the poultry inspection rule. While several
Continue Reading House Subcommittee Airs Out FSIS Controversies During Budget Hearing

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not have enough resources to implement the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), Michael Taylor, deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine, said Wednesday in an appearance before the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee. In answering a rapid succession of yes
Continue Reading Taylor: FDA Needs More Resources for FSMA Implementation