DeLauro Presses Administration on Food Safety, Trade, Budget Cuts

Discusses Issues with Agriculture Secretary Vilsack

WASHINGTON, DC—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) engagedwith United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack onthe issues facing the Department, particularly the intersection of food safetyand trade, and the budget cuts caused by the sequestration cuts. The exchangestook place at the annual hearing on USDA's budget request; DeLauro is a formerChairwoman of the Subcommittee.

DeLauro asked Vilsack about reports that the Administrationis considering a binding dispute resolution process for part of theTrans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement currently under negotiation.She has repeatedly urgedthe Administration not to sacrifice either foodsafety or transparencyas they negotiate this and other trade deals.

"The resolution of trade disputes is critical to industry,but the integrity of those standards is imperative to consumers and tocontinued confidence in the safety of our food. A ‘binding disputeresolution' presents a very real threat to the substance of our food safetystandards – ranging from the inspection process to specific microbiologicalstandards, like our zero tolerance for some of the most dangerouspathogens. On top of that, it will result in a significant resource drainas agency staff is diverted away from their primary mission to protect the publichealth and prevent foodborne illness."

DeLauro also questioned Vilsack on the impact ofsequestration on USDA programs.

In response to his remarks, including the fact that 15,000Americans will likely lose their rental assistance by September, DeLauro notedthat "I think it is still relatively unknown among many of my colleagues howdeeply these cuts will hurt people across the country. I am not sure that thereis a granular understanding of what this means in reality to the population ofpeople who count on USDA to get by and the hammer is really going to come downmuch sooner than people think."

Video of the hearing may be found here.