[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 46 (Friday, March 29, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H3174]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            MISMANAGEMENT OF USDA FOOD AND CONSUMER SERVICE

  (Mr. NETHERCUTT asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. NETHERCUTT. Mr. Speaker, last Wednesday, in the Agriculture 
appropriations hearing, I examined what can only be described as gross 
mismanagement in the agency that oversees our Nation's food programs. 
Without clear explanation, the USDA's Food and Consumer Service could 
not specifically account for $13.5 billion, one-third of their budget 
in 1994. We do know that the agency spent $500,000 on gourmet chefs to 
design food for kids and $400,000 for the Disney Corp. to promote 
``Lion King'' commercials in the name of child nutrition.
  While Republicans have been attacked for trying to make certain that 
Federal agencies use taxpayer money efficiently and effectively, the 
Food and Consumer Service has in fact had so much money they don't know 
where it went. The inspector general made such a finding. Every 
American should be outraged at this administration's mismanagement of 
these funds for children, and we better look at other agencies, too, to 
be certain about spending in efficiency in this administration.

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