House to consider FDA appropriations bill today
October 07, 2013 | 01:00 AM
The House today will consider a bill to fund the Food and Drug Administration during the shutdown, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., announced late Sunday.
The resolution, sponsored by House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., appears to be the latest in the agency-by-agency appropriations bills that the House leadership is taking up during the shutdown.
The bill, called the Food and Drug Safety Act, will be considered under a closed rule, meaning that it will not be subject to amendment, and will have 40 minutes of debate. Legislative business will begin at 2 p.m., but votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m.
Democrats have opposed most bills for individual agencies and programs on the grounds that the entire government should be reopened.
Consumer advocates have complained that the FDA has stopped food inspection activities during the shutdown. The Agriculture Department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has continued inspection of meat, poultry and processed egg products under current law.
The resolution, sponsored by House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., appears to be the latest in the agency-by-agency appropriations bills that the House leadership is taking up during the shutdown.
The bill, called the Food and Drug Safety Act, will be considered under a closed rule, meaning that it will not be subject to amendment, and will have 40 minutes of debate. Legislative business will begin at 2 p.m., but votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m.
Democrats have opposed most bills for individual agencies and programs on the grounds that the entire government should be reopened.
Consumer advocates have complained that the FDA has stopped food inspection activities during the shutdown. The Agriculture Department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has continued inspection of meat, poultry and processed egg products under current law.
