Congressmen questioning objectivity, need of GIPSA proposal
In a letter sent to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Senators Pat Roberts (R-KS), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Mike Johanns (R-NE), Sam Brownback (R-KS), and Tom Coburn (R-OK) noted that even though the USDA has assured that ongoing workshops would provide an opportunity for diverse viewpoints to be heard, recent press accounts and an email sent by a USDA official suggest otherwise.
To that end, the Senators made the following requests: 1. the number of USDA and non-USDA recipients who received the email in question from an official email account; 2. the content of subsequent email messages to and from the official email account responding to the original message; 3. any memoranda or directives sent to USDA employees asking for assistance in soliciting workshop participants; 4. a description of how the Administration will ensure the August 27, 2010, joint DOJ/USDA workshop will be conducted in a fair and unbiased manner; and 5. all solicitations or position statements from any USDA agent or employee regarding the competition workshops.