Food Safety Group Calls on U.S. House to Reopen Government

A national food safety group weighed in Monday on the federal government shutdown, calling on House leaders to reject a resolution that would fund the Food and Drug Administration through Dec. 15.

Resolution 77 would approve a temporary budget for the FDA but not other agencies. The Center for Science in the Public Interest said such limited appropriations would not protect Americans from foodborne illness.

The FDA oversees 80 percent of the food supply but works with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in investigating food poisoning outbreaks.

In a letter to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif), the center called on lawmakers to approve a budget that would put all federal workers back on the job.

"While we appreciate that many in Congress recognize the (FDA's) importance, we cannot support legislation that takes a piecemeal approach to funding the government and that would make support for FDA a partisan issue," the center's executive director Michael Jacobson said in the letter. "In addition, FDA's growing responsibilities require a funding level higher than that proposed in the legislation."

USDA inspectors, who by law have to be in meat and poultry plants, are working, but FDA inspectors, who would normally carry out routine checks at food plants and inspect food imports, have been sent home. Many CDC scientists, who track harmful organisms, are also on furlough. The CDC is crucial in identifying and investigating multi-state outbreaks and also plays a role in supporting local health departments.

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Source: Oregon Live