P. Scott Shearer, Vice President

June 20, 2016

1 Min Read
House members want catfish vote

A bipartisan group of 178 Congressmen is urging the House Republican leadership to schedule a vote to end USDA’s catfish inspection program and return it to the Food and Drug Administration. The members emphasized this is a waste of taxpayer dollars, and the Government Accountability Office has 10 times stated that this program is “duplicative” and at “high risk” for fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement.” 

The members say GAO concluded that the USDA catfish program “would result in duplication of federal programs and cost taxpayers millions of dollars annually without enhancing the safety of catfish intended for human consumption.” The House letter was organized by Congresswomen Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA). Consumers Union, Food and Water Watch, and other consumer groups are pushing back saying that USDA is doing a better job of ensuring the food safety of catfish. The Senate last month voted to return the catfish inspection program to FDA.

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.

Subscribe to Our Newsletters
National Hog Farmer is the source for hog production, management and market news

You May Also Like