Albio Sires: “As we continue to make our way through the budget process, we must ensure that all funding reductions we make are done…”

“As we continue to make our way through the budget process, we must ensure that all funding reductions we make are done in a responsible manner. While I strongly agree that we need to get our deficit under control, we cannot do it in a way that undermines public safety and job creation. For example, the Republican long-term CR will cut $88 million in funding from the Food Safety and Inspection Service. This little-known cut will force food safety inspectors off the job for over 30 days, resulting in shutdowns of plants across this Nation. The USDA has estimated that such cuts will result in an $11 billion loss in productivity. Additionally, meat and poultry production is supposed to grow over the next year. If we decrease funding for food safety, there will be fewer inspectors to examine our food and make sure it's acceptable for consumption. Mr. Speaker, this is just one example of how we need to dissect each cut and the impact that it will have in the real world. I hope this Chamber can come together and make sensible decisions when it comes to reducing our deficit.”