Dive Summary:
- In a Wednesday night vote, the House Agriculture Committee 31-15 on an amendment that would repeal a U.S. Department of Agriculture catfish inspection program, moving the fish back to U.S. Food and Drug Administration jurisdiction.
- The USDA program was originally instituted by the 2008 farm bill to help protect U.S. catfish farmers from cheap imports.
- The White House also favors cutting the program, which the Government Accountability Office deemed wasteful and duplicative, but whether the program is repealed in the final 2013 farm bill remains unclear.
From the article:
... On Thursday the National Fisheries Institute, a broad-based seafood industry group, praised the House agriculture panel for voting to nix the catfish inspection program at USDA.
“The committee chose sound fiscal policy and a commitment to grow rural economies by protecting trading opportunities in export markets for American farm products,” said Gavin Gibbons, a spokesman for NFI. “We look forward to a Farm Bill, signed into law by the President, that reflects the Committee’s action on repealing this program.” ...
