American Agriculture is letting the U.S. Senate know that 68 months is long enough to go without a USDA under secretary for food safety.
Ten of the nation’s largest and most influential agricultural organizations have written the Senate’s leadership, calling for an immediate vote to confirm Mindy Brashears as USDA’s
Continue Reading Ag groups tell Senate it is time to confirm Mindy Brashears as Under Secretary for Food Safety
Okay, would any us know or care if the United States Senate ceased to exist? Nebraska, with its unicameral, is a well-run state. And the U.S. Senate original purpose was to represent the states in our federal union.
Next to our entry into World War I, changing to direct election
Continue Reading Letter From The Editor: Let’s be done with the U.S. Senate
After being showered with handful of paper money thrown over the gallery rail by a single protestor, the U.S. Senate invoked cloture on a GMO-labeling bill by a 65-32 vote Wednesday, meaning that the compromise proposal for a federal law on how grocery products will be labeled when they do
Continue Reading Senate easily invokes cloture on GMO label bill; final vote next
The U.S. Senate has voted to shut down the nation’s only catfish inspection program, a move that would put more Americans at risk of exposure to carcinogens and antibiotics from Asian white fish, such as Vietnamese pangasius. Senators approved the Joint Resolution by a vote of 55-43 on Wednesday.
Continue Reading Senate votes to end USDA catfish inspections, which just got underway
With a vote of 89-4 today, the Senate confirmed Dr. Robert Califf as commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Duke University professor has little experience in the food safety arena, but extensive experience as a cardiologist and researcher. Funding for some of that research came from big
Continue Reading Cardiologist now heads Food and Drug Administration
It’s an oft-heard statement from officials at the Food and Drug Administration: The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requires sufficient funding allocated by Congress in order to be a success. The testimony that Acting FDA Commissioner Stephen Ostroff and Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine Michael Taylor gave before
Continue Reading FDA Tells Senate Subcommittee Full Funding is ‘Absolutely Critical’ for FSMA Success
The $180-billion “minibus” package of appropriations bills to fund agriculture and other government programs for fiscal 2015 was pulled from the Senate floor Thursday afternoon by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) after his attempt failed to require 60 votes to adopt any amendments. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) objected
Continue Reading Senate Vote on Agriculture Funding Bill Delayed Twice by Partisan Wrangling
