P. Scott Shearer, Vice President

April 4, 2014

1 Min Read
Industry Opposes New User Fees on Meat and Poultry

A coalition of 45 agricultural organizations sent a letter to Congressional leaders stating their opposition to the administration’s proposed “user fees” for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) meat and poultry inspection activities.

The new user fees would be assessed on plants based on “sample failures” or activities due to “regulatory non-compliance.”

The coalition said, “Meat, poultry and egg product inspection is a public health and safety program required by federal law and has been funded through tax dollars for more than a century. 

Food safety inspection benefits everyone and therefore should continue to be paid for through Congressionally appropriated funds.”  USDA’s estimates the user fees would generate $4 million annually.  Previous Congresses have rejected this type of user fee. 

 

About the Author(s)

P. Scott Shearer

Vice President, Bockorny Group, Inc.

Scott Shearer is vice president of the Bockorny Group Inc., a leading bipartisan government affairs consulting firm in Washington, D.C. With more than 30 years experience in government and corporate relations in state and national arenas, he is recognized as a leader in agricultural trade issues, having served as co-chairman of the Agricultural Coalition for U.S.-China Trade and co-chairman of the Agricultural Coalition for Trade Promotion Authority. Scott was instrumental in the passage of China Permanent Normal Trade Relations and TPA. He is past chairman of the USDA-USTR Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Animals and Animal Products and was a member of the USAID Food Security Advisory Committee. Prior to joining the Bockorny Group, Scott served as director of national relations for Farmland Industries Inc., as well as USDA’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional Affairs (1993-96), serving as liaison for the Secretary of Agriculture and the USDA to Congress.

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