Senator Roy Blunt expressed serious concern about the Sequester’s effect on the Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration appropriations.
The Missouri Republican says public safety is not the place to reduce government spending. Blunt believes cuts in the food inspection program will severely impact the economy nationwide due to a decrease in production.
“It’s a particularly big issue in our state, but frankly it’s a big issue for every consumer,” Blunt said. “Not that they’d get unsafe food, but they’d get less food through the process than you’re having, because you can’t open these meat, poultry, and egg processing facilities unless the federal inspector is there all the time.”
Blunt says for each day a food safety inspector does not show up, processing facilities cannot be open.
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On Wednesday, Blunt voted to stop funding for the Affordable Care Act.
The Missouri Republican says the Republican view of Obamacare is now being echoed by some Democrats in Congress.
“Republicans and Democrats are looking at this. And, I guess Republicans are generally more concerned than they even were when they opposed it. And the Democrats are beginning to rethink where they’ve been on this,” Blunt said.
Senator Blunt was joined by four senate Democrats in co-sponsoring a bill that would repeal the medical device tax. He and other Republicans were also supported by ten house Democrats to repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board, which was set to have control over Medicare funding.