Government shutdown stops FDA food safety inspections

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/government-shutdown-stops-fda-food-safety-inspections-n956716

Jan. 9, 2019, 1:59 PM EST
By Maggie Fox

The ongoing federal government shutdown has stopped most food safety inspections, but the Food and Drug Administration is planning to resume at least some of them. To do it, the agency will have to force furloughed workers to come back without pay.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said he is trying to pinpoint the most essential inspections, while making sure that employees do not suffer too much.

“There’s no question of whether it’s business as usual at FDA,” Gottlieb told NBC News.

“It’s not business as usual, and we are not doing all the things we would do under normal circumstances. There are important things we are not doing.”

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Some of FDA’s work, such as drug approvals, inspections of drug-producing facilities, and regulating tobacco products, are paid for by user fees. They’re not greatly affected by the shutdown. But much of the budget is specifically appropriated by Congress, and it’s on hold. About 7,000 of the agency’s 17,000 employees, or 41 percent of staff, are furloughed.

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Workers who are furloughed can start applying for unemployment benefits, or even find other jobs to fill in while they are idled. They cannot do either if they are called back to work without pay, however. And it is unclear how long this shutdown will last or whether Congress will appropriate back pay for those kept home.

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“We don’t want the person inspecting our meat for disease and feces to be distracted by not being able to pay their bills. It is also very hard to get qualified people to work in a slaughterhouse, and many inspectors have advanced food safety or veterinary degrees and could get better-paying jobs elsewhere but choose to work for the government because of the sense of mission and stability,” she added.

“This shutdown could have long-term impacts on our workforce.”
Image: Image:Maggie Fox

Maggie Fox is a senior writer for NBC News and TODAY, covering health policy, science, medical treatments and disease.
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