Jeff Merkley

Much credit is owed to this subcommittee, particularly Ranking Member Merkley, for his leadership to enact the Rural Energy Savings Program Act.

I want to go to rental assistance in more detail.

Okay, I will look forward to future reports. Please keep me apprised.

Thank you very much for coming out to Oregon to visit a self-help housing program.

That is unacceptable, isn't it?

My understanding is that we did enable that to be done, but that there is reticence to do so.

I want you to come back to us, and we will work together.

There are approximately 50 programs.

USDA Rural Development provides a remarkable set of opportunities to improve the quality of life in rural America.

I have heard from constituents and that there are concerns that foreign businesses may not be as closely monitored as U.S. businesses.

But there is another element of the preventive controls rule--I believe it is in the preventive controls rules--that involves developing a tracking system for ingredients that go into processed foods.

And I think one of those areas that the funding is impacting the United States is in filling those foreign offices.

Back when we were working on this bill, a young man and his father came out from Oregon to testify.

I was reading an article recently about the ponds where shrimp are farmed on land in Asia and where massive amounts of antibiotics are used to control the various diseases that are rampant in those ponds.

America has and continues to have the safest food supply in the world.

I visited that laboratory in Berkeley a number of years ago. Fascinating work that's being done there.

Thank you. Public Law 480, title I, there hasn't been any new loans since 2006.

Well, thank you very much. I'm going to try to quickly touch on five topics in 5 minutes.

But I think even in these cases, we will be able to be more effective in our investigatory role in assessing systems and whether this sort of practice is going on in facilities that needs to be addressed very forcefully.

I wanted to draw attention to the report that you have all displayed, the 2014 Food Safety Progress Report.

So, Mr. Taylor, you mentioned the foreign inspections, and FSMA mandated 600 inspections in 2011, with a doubling of the previous year's inspection level for the subsequent 5 years, which would mean that in fiscal year 2015, we would have…

I am just going to cut to the chase and say I am glad it is going to have this guidance.

Can we get your cooperation in exploring the potential expansion and support for mobile slaughter facilities?

Switching gears, I want to much follow-up here, given the shortage of time.

Have you taken a look at this program and considered ways to improve on it.