Catfish caper will cost taxpayers $30 million because of redundant program

Last month the General Accounting Office released a report on that blasted the "staggering level Of duplication" of programs in Washington. Last week Cass Sunstein, the Administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, testified in front of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. John McCain grilled Sunstein, specifically about the implementation of a US Department of Agriculture imported catfish inspection program, which McCain say was created after Congress "snuck a phrase into a massive bill." Hence we are now burdened with the USDA Catfish Inspection Office.

That sneakiness, McCain says, will cost taxpayers $30 million. Catfish, both domestic and imported, is already inspected by the FDA.



Is the Agriculture Department viewing catfish like al Qaeda? Well, they do have those sharp barbs on their fins--Oh, wait, imported catfish aren't alive. In regards to the new program, food-safety consultant and former FDA commissioner David Acheson says, "It's everything that's wrong about the food-safety system, it's food politics. It's not public health."

It's a waste of money, that's what it is. Oh, the extra expense of double-inspection will make of course lead to imported catfish becoming more expensive.

The Arizona Republican has some advice for Sunstein, who was only familiar with the outline of the USDA Catfish Office, "Well, (it costs) only $30 million, you may want to take a minute."

Take a minute, please!

Related post:

"Staggering level of duplication" in Washington

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