Statement : Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
April 9, 2019
Statement
I am pleased to introduce our witness, Secretary Perdue. The Secretary and I have a decades-long relationship. He has a deep commitment to our farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.
Before we begin, I want to say that we need to get a supplemental disaster bill through Congress. I know the Secretary shares my sense of urgency about this. The House passed its bill in January and we are ready to go to conference with the Senate as soon as it passes a bill. I know all House members are also committed to ensuring the areas of the Midwest that were hit with monumental floods just a few weeks ago have the funds they need.
April 3, 2019
Statement
"As in past years, FDA’s request is in stark contrast to much of the Federal government. Many administration officials have appeared in the recent weeks defending steep cuts in their budget."
April 2, 2019
Statement
"This discussion comes at a critical time for our farmers, ranchers, producers, and rural communities. Recent natural disasters across the country – including hurricanes and tornados in my home state of Georgia and unprecedented flooding in Nebraska, the home state of our Distinguished Ranking Member Mr. Fortenberry – have created stress and uncertainty, on top of impacts from the ongoing tariff situation."
March 27, 2019
Statement
Today we will hear from two panels as we discuss the Department’s proposal to relocate the Economic Research Service [ERS] and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture [NIFA].
March 12, 2019
Statement
I have an abiding interest in your work and what you do. We must do everything that we can to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse, and mismanagement.
And we must do all we can to assure that all of the USDA programs over which this subcommittee has oversight are operated with the best possible efficiencies – in order to create the best possible outcome for those who use the agency.
I was particularly pleased to see your annual plan for fiscal year 2019 focuses on many of the concerns of this Subcommittee. From enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act, to food safety threats, to oversight of disaster assistance programs, we rely on you to conduct audits and investigations to ensure the programs we fund are run efficiently and that issues are addressed in a timely manner.
February 27, 2019
Statement
"While the full impacts from the shutdown will not be known for some time, there are undoubtedly accrued backlogs of inspections, delayed drug and medical device reviews and potentially exhausted pools of user fees as a result of the shutdown. We look forward to hearing the processes put into place to work through these backlogs as efficiently as possible and other efforts to return to more standard operations."