Bush faces opposition from poultry industry
Fees proposed in President Bush’s budget submitted recently to the Congress is being fought by a coalition of nearly 40 groups
including the American Meat Institute, National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation, United Egg Association and United Egg Producers .
The so-called ‘user fees’ for government mandated food safety inspection programs represent an additional US$96 million tax on consumers, livestock and poultry producers and the meat, poultry and egg processing industries.
User fees have been proposed in the past, but have been rejected by the legislative branch. In a letter to the US House and Senate , the coalition noted that meat, poultry and egg inspection is a public health and safety program that has been funded through tax dollars during the last 100 years. The proposed user fees, would not only foist higher food prices onto tax-paying consumers, but also harm the US competitive edge in the export market.
“We urge Congress to continue to oppose proposals to assess new user fees, either in whole or in part, to fund federally mandated meat, poultry and egg products inspection,” the letter said.
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