Contaminated foods — the list includes cantaloupe, turkey burgers, spinach, peppers, peanut butter and eggs — have killed and sickened too many Americans over the past five years. Now, Congress wants to cut the budgets of the agencies that oversee our food and water protections even further. Act now to protect our food and our water.

The federal budget currently proposed by Congress slashes critical funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). President Obama’s proposed budget is not much better. Both budgets fail to provide basic services that most of us expect.

Food

The original Republican proposal (House Resolution 1, or H.R. 1) for cutting the current FY 2011 federal budget would cut the budget for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) meat inspections by $88 million, and would return funding for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to less than last year’s levels—putting them even further behind in meeting requirements of the new food safety law passed late last year. President Obama’s proposed 2012 budget would cut the USDA’s meat inspection budget by $9 million and increase the FDA’s budget—but not enough to implement the new Food Safety Modernization Act.

Water

Federal funding for water infrastructure has also been targeted by the House, whose proposal cuts the Environmental Protection Agency’s State Revolving Funds for clean water (sewerage) and drinking water — the mechanisms through which federal funding is distributed to states and municipalities for water infrastructure repairs, maintenance and improvements—by $1.967 billion to finish out the current fiscal year. These funds would also be drastically reduced under Obama’s proposed FY 2012 budget.

Take Action

Won’t you help us fight budget cuts to our essential food and water protections?