US House advances measure to prevent meat inspector furloughs

Front-line meat and poultry inspectors came one step closer to avoiding furloughs, as the U.S. House voted on March 21 on a continuing resolution that shifts $55 million to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to allow the inspectors to keep working.

Front-line meat and poultry inspectors came one step closer to avoiding furloughs, as the U.S. House voted on March 21 on a continuing resolution that shifts $55 million to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to allow the inspectors to keep working.

The House approved the bipartisan measure by a 318-109 vote.

"The rarity of coming together as we are a week or so before the ending of the (continuing resolution) to pass a new continuing resolution by agreement of the Senate, with the myriad of details involved in these bills, is remarkable," said House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers, R-Kentucky.

The continuing resolution contained an amendment, which provides flexibility to the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service to prevent furloughs of front-line food safety inspectors at federally inspected meat and poultry plants. The $55 million in funding provided in the bill will not exempt the Food Safety and Inspection Service from sequester cuts, but it will put additional funding back into the account in order to try to prevent furloughs of front-line food safety inspectors, who are deemed "essential" federal employees.

The Senate approved the measure one day earlier. The bill now moves on for President Barack Obama's approval, which is expected. 

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