US Senate votes 55-43 to end USDA catfish inspection – Sen. Roger Wicker spoke to fight for farmers

Senate Votes to Scrap Catfish Inspection Program

The vote Wednesday came just after President Barack Obama visited Vietnam, a major exporter of catfish to the United States that has criticized the program. The Senate has approved by 55-43 a resolution that would void the regulations, if the House agrees and Obama signs on.

The inspection program was first created by Congress in the 2008 farm law and is championed by lawmakers from catfish-producing states, including Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss. The law took safety oversight of catfish and other ray-finned fish away from the Food and Drug Administration and gave that authority to the Agriculture Department, which does more frequent inspections.

ABC
5/25/16