Lawmaker Files Amendment to Ag Bill to Prohibit Catfish Inspection Program Spending

June 11, 2014 by Brian Dabbs|Congress

Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo., filed an amendment to fiscal year 2015 agriculture appropriations legislation that would prohibit funding for the controversial Department of Agriculture (USDA) Catfish Inspection Program. The full House is scheduled to consider the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2015, HR-4800 (here), on June 11. Hartzler has been an outspoken critic of the program during recent legislative debates revolving around the program (see 13121124).

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The amendment would specifically prohibit appropriation funds to implement the program under the Agricultural Act of 2014 (here). USDA said in the Spring 2014 Unified Agenda that it plans to issue its final regulations to implement the catfish inspection program in December (see 14052826). Opponents of the program argue it is wasteful and will encourage retaliation from affected countries in Southeast Asia (see

The Heritage Foundation in recent weeks joined the chorus of critics, saying the program is unnecessary because the Food and Drug Administration already regulates seafood import inspections (see [Ref:14060228). The program still has “writ large” opposition in Washington D.C. and elsewhere among lawmakers, industry officials and other advocates, said Gavin Gibbons, spokesman for the National Fisheries Institute, a seafood trade association. “The effort has been for repeal and our focus is on repeal,” said Gibbons in a recent interview. “You almost can’t throw a rock in Southeast Asia and hit a country that this doesn’t affect.” Indonesia and Vietnam, among other nations in the region, have threatened retaliation.

The Office of Management and Budget is currently looking at the program, said Gibbons and a USDA Food Safety Inspection Service official. OMB previously advocated its repeal. “This is where a vigorous internal debate could happen. This is the stage where agencies who have portfolios that are affected by the program have the opportunity to weigh in,” said Gibbons, adding that there are some changes to the law that would be palatable to opponents. “It’s still going to be a duplicative measure unless only the FDA is overseeing the catfish inspection process. If through the OMB process they determine the FDA is the only agency that should inspect catfish, then the law would no longer be duplicative.”

Email ITTNews@warren-news.com for a copy of the amendment.