House approves bid to end FSIS furloughs; bill sent to President
The House of Representatives yesterday approved a $55 million shift of funds within the USDA in order to prevent any layoffs of federal meat inspectors and disruption to the meat and poultry industry. The money was part of a bill to pay for federal operations through the end of this fiscal year, reports Reuters.
In a special step, lawmakers shifted $55 million in Agriculture Department funding so that its food safety agency would have enough money to keep its 8,400 inspectors on the job. Senators wrote the shift into the bill on Wednesday, the House approved it and sent it to President Barack Obama on Thursday.