9. Nine lives, indeed: The utterly pointless transfer of duties for inspecting catfish imports, from the Food and Drug Administration to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has reached new lows. Despite being fingered by the U.S. Government Accountability Office as a “fragmentation” and a waste of taxpayer funds (for a seventh time!), the measure mandated by the passage of the 2008 Farm Bill lives on. The controversial program could hamper an Asia-Pacific trade agreement with the United States, as 10 nations in Southeast Asia have complained to U.S. trade representatives that the program violates international law. Will 2015 see the end to this folly?
December 30, 2014
