President Announces Plans to Consolidate Food Safety, Conservation Agencies
President Donald Trump on June 21 announced a new plan to reorganize federal agencies to make them more “responsive and accountable.” Based on recommendations from the Office of Management and Budget, the report proposes to consolidate federal food safety oversight under a new Federal Food Safety Agency in the Agriculture Department, combining the regulatory responsibilities of the Food and Drug Administration and the Food Safety Inspection Service. Years of evolving legislative mandates have led to a “fragmented and illogical” food safety system wherein, for example, “FDA regulates closed-faced meat sandwiches, while FSIS regulates open-faced meat sandwiches.”
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The reform “would reduce duplication of inspection at some food processing facilities, improve outreach to consumers and industry, and achieve savings over time while ensuring robust and coordinated food safety oversight,” the report said. The current FDA would be renamed the Federal Drug Administration, and “would focus on drugs, devices, biologics, tobacco, dietary supplements, and cosmetics.” Congressional action usually is required to reorganize federal agencies.
The president is also proposing to combine the National Marine Fisheries Service into the Fish and Wildlife Service in order to “consolidate the administration of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) in one agency and combine the Services’ science and management capacity.” That would result “in more consistent Federal fisheries and wildlife policy and improved service to stakeholders and the public, particularly on infrastructure permitting,” the report said.