“We have to get our fiscal house in order,” U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told reporters today in a conference call. “That’s going to involve tough calls.” One of those tough calls includes the USDA’s plan to shut down 259 offices throughout the United States and seven more overseas. While the plan could save the government $150 million and the USDA claims that it will have no impact on the department’s ability to efficiently uphold food safety standards, not everyone is satisfied with the decision. […]
According to Vilsack, the move is still necessary to compensate for the $3 billion budget cut handed down to the USDA from congress in 2010. But while he has told the press that he does not see “significant disruptions to service” in the USDA’s future, agencies are already being taken to task for their responsibilities to ensuring food safety. It is difficult to imagine that the USDA will be able to do even more when equipped with even less. Read more here.
