Joseph Skeen: “Mr. Speaker, let me say right now insofar as meat inspection is concerned, and I understand the concern of the gentleman…”

“Mr. Speaker, let me say right now insofar as meat inspection is concerned, and I understand the concern of the gentleman from Wisconsin and others who have worked with this, but the program that we are undergoing now does not extend the time for the adoption of new standards for meat inspection. It cuts it much shorter and expedites the process of initiating the HACCP Program. This is taken at the behest of the Secretary of Agriculture, along with other people who have been very much interested and very much involved in trying to speed up this process and make it one of common understanding and agreement between the processors as well as those who are concerned about the health and safety of the meat inspection program. But it is a new scientific program that must be initiated. It is a drastic change, I do admit, that has caused a great deal of controversy. The process is ongoing, as we speak, at the behest of the Secretary of Agriculture, and I would ask the gentleman to consider this when considering voting against or opposing the previous question.”