Vilsack Warns of Furloughs
Ag Secretary: Sequestration Will Force Furloughs of
Meat, Poultry, Egg Inspectors
Jerry Hagstrom DTN Political Correspondent
WASHINGTON (DTN) -- The Agriculture Department's
Food Safety and Inspection Service will have to
furlough meat, poultry and egg product inspectors if
sequestration goes into effect, U.S. Agriculture
Secretary Tom Vilsack wrote the American Meat
Institute on Tuesday. The National Cattlemen's Beef
Association also raised concerns about the furlough.
The White House noted last Friday that inspector
furloughs would cause production in meat, poultry and
egg product plants to shut down, affecting
approximately 6,290 establishments nationwide and
costing more than $10 billion in production losses.
AMI President and CEO J. Patrick Boyle had written
Vilsack and President Barack Obama that USDA has a
"statutory obligation" to keep FSIS inspectors on the
job.
Vilsack replied that FSIS has already cut expenses to
try to shorten the furloughs by half, but will have to
enact them.
"You are correct in your assertion that FSIS' governing
statute imposes an obligation on the department to
provide inspection," Vilsack wrote.
"However, our view of those authorities is that they
allow for furloughs in order to comply with budget and
fiscal laws enacted by Congress. Unlike other budget
scenarios, such as a short-term government
shutdown, the exemption provisions of the
sequestration statutes do not include exceptions that
would be applicable to FSIS inspection activities."
The White House noted last Friday that inspector
furloughs would cause production in meat, poultry and
egg product plants to shut down, affecting
approximately 6,290 establishments nationwide and
costing more than $10 billion in production losses,
while industry workers would experience more than
$400 million in lost wages.
Meat supplies would be disrupted and prices would be
likely to rise, the White House said.
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association President
Scott George stated in a news release that his
members are "disappointed" Vilsack has threatened
furloughs for inspectors.
"Secretary Vilsack is using America's cattlemen and
women as pawns in the agency's political wrangling
with Congress," George said. "While we are certain the
USDA contains other 'non-essential' employees, the
secretary has chosen to announce the consequences of
sequestration in terms of a furlough of FSIS inspectors,
essentially threating to close down all production,
processing and interstate distribution of meat. This
action has already cost cattle producers significant
amounts of money with the downward slide in the
futures markets caused by rampant speculation, with
untold effect on producers through further regulatory
uncertainty."
George added, "NCBA will not stand by while the
administration threatens this kind of action against the
industry. We are calling on producers to contact their
senators and congressional representatives to send a
clear signal to the USDA that this is not an acceptable
exercise of executive authority."
http://www.dtnprogressivefarmer.com/dtnag/commo
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symbolicName=/free/news/template1&vendorReferen
ce=03c04f6a-bd64-4713-ac52-9066f87bb730
Ag Secretary: Sequestration Will Force Furloughs of
Meat, Poultry, Egg Inspectors
Jerry Hagstrom DTN Political Correspondent
WASHINGTON (DTN) -- The Agriculture Department's
Food Safety and Inspection Service will have to
furlough meat, poultry and egg product inspectors if
sequestration goes into effect, U.S. Agriculture
Secretary Tom Vilsack wrote the American Meat
Institute on Tuesday. The National Cattlemen's Beef
Association also raised concerns about the furlough.
The White House noted last Friday that inspector
furloughs would cause production in meat, poultry and
egg product plants to shut down, affecting
approximately 6,290 establishments nationwide and
costing more than $10 billion in production losses.
AMI President and CEO J. Patrick Boyle had written
Vilsack and President Barack Obama that USDA has a
"statutory obligation" to keep FSIS inspectors on the
job.
Vilsack replied that FSIS has already cut expenses to
try to shorten the furloughs by half, but will have to
enact them.
"You are correct in your assertion that FSIS' governing
statute imposes an obligation on the department to
provide inspection," Vilsack wrote.
"However, our view of those authorities is that they
allow for furloughs in order to comply with budget and
fiscal laws enacted by Congress. Unlike other budget
scenarios, such as a short-term government
shutdown, the exemption provisions of the
sequestration statutes do not include exceptions that
would be applicable to FSIS inspection activities."
The White House noted last Friday that inspector
furloughs would cause production in meat, poultry and
egg product plants to shut down, affecting
approximately 6,290 establishments nationwide and
costing more than $10 billion in production losses,
while industry workers would experience more than
$400 million in lost wages.
Meat supplies would be disrupted and prices would be
likely to rise, the White House said.
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association President
Scott George stated in a news release that his
members are "disappointed" Vilsack has threatened
furloughs for inspectors.
"Secretary Vilsack is using America's cattlemen and
women as pawns in the agency's political wrangling
with Congress," George said. "While we are certain the
USDA contains other 'non-essential' employees, the
secretary has chosen to announce the consequences of
sequestration in terms of a furlough of FSIS inspectors,
essentially threating to close down all production,
processing and interstate distribution of meat. This
action has already cost cattle producers significant
amounts of money with the downward slide in the
futures markets caused by rampant speculation, with
untold effect on producers through further regulatory
uncertainty."
George added, "NCBA will not stand by while the
administration threatens this kind of action against the
industry. We are calling on producers to contact their
senators and congressional representatives to send a
clear signal to the USDA that this is not an acceptable
exercise of executive authority."
http://www.dtnprogressivefarmer.com/dtnag/commo
n/link.do?
symbolicName=/free/news/template1&vendorReferen
ce=03c04f6a-bd64-4713-ac52-9066f87bb730
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