- January 16, 2019
- Posted by: Sage Shield Safety Consultants
- Category: Overseas Occupational Health And Safety News
Here’s the situation regarding food security on Day 13 of the partial government shutdown: Yet, there are no concerns.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are operating because their spending plans went through the routine appropriations process. There are the about 2,700 state and local health departments that do the frontline surveillance for foodborne diseases that are reported to the CDC. Those departments run on state and regional tax dollars.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Assessment Service (FSIS) and the Fda are partly shutdown, but their food safety work is considered essential under the protocols that are followed when budget authority is lost.
Considering that the partial government shutdown started on Dec. 22, USDA meat and poultry inspectors were on task as typical at the more than 6,000 personal facilities that fall under FSIS policies. Food managed by both FDA and FSIS has actually been remembered throughout the previous 13 days. And imported food is being checked in U.S. borders.
Today, the partial shutdown ends up being the fourth longest in U.S. history, besting the 1977 and 1979 closures during President Jimmy Carter’s term. The longest closure came in 1995-96 during President Bill Clinton’s first term, lasting 21 days.
Today will see Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, formally change Rep. Paul Ryan, R-WI, as Speaker of your house and the first maneuvers by the brand-new Democratic House majority to impact the shutdown. With their next payday for the Dec. 23 to Jan. 5 pay duration turning up on Jan. 11, federal staff members are beginning to push their legislators to end the shutdown. Speaker Pelosi may wish to take a few of that pressure off by resolving the partial shutdown with some partial openings, namely by funding the departments of treasury, state, and justice.
As it stands now, about 420,000 federal government workers– including active service armed force, TSA, air traffic controllers, Border Patrol, food safety workers and others– are working without an assurance on when they will be paid. Another 380,000 are furloughed.
The partial shutdown is the outcome of President Donald J. Trump’s need that Congress offer $5 billion for barriers on the U.S.-Mexican border that he states will help control unlawful migration, human trafficking, drugs, and other prohibited activity. Border security financing of $1.3 billion is included in the proposed Homeland Security Department budget plan. Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have actually stated they ‘d go along with the $1.3 billion, but no more.
In remarks from the White Home continued C-Span2 on the other day, Trump stated the Democratic leaders are putting politics ahead of nationwide security. “I am believing about what’s right and what’s wrong,” he stated.
The other day, after congressional leaders from both celebrations visited the White House, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, said no progress was made on the budget plan settlements.
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