WASHINGTON - Congress may not take its first look at a White House-backed bill to toughen meat inspection laws until October, a key committee chairman said Wednesday -- timing that dimmed the chance for passage this year.
Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman unveiled the bill last week in the wake of the recall of a record 25 million pounds of hamburger. He said additional powers were needed to keep tainted meat away from consumers.
Backers held out the hope of arranging a compromise bill behind the scenes that could, at a minimum, be passed in short order by the Senate and sent to the House, staff workers said.
"I will probably have a hearing in committee in the early part of October to hear Secretary Glickman and others," Agriculture Committee chairman Richard Lugar told reporters. "I would not co-sponsor the bill."
No hearings were scheduled before the House Agriculture Committee. Lawmakers hope to adjourn for the year by mid-November and perhaps earlier.
Under the administration bill, the Agriculture Department would gain the power to order a recall -- they now are voluntary -- and could impose fines of up to $100,000 a day for violations, as well as refuse to inspect meat if there are willful or repeated violations at a plant. Meat cannot be sold across state lines without the federal inspection seal.
A Senate staff worker said Lugar's comments suggested it would be more difficult than earlier thought to get a bill passed. The only chance to pass a bill this year, he said, was to move quickly with a bill that had an overawing group of sponsors.
Senator Patrick Leahy, Vermont Democrat, said he was working on a bill with "a lot of the things" requested by Glickman. He said he was discussing strategy for the bill with Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, the Democratic leader on the Agriculture Committee.
"I'll defer to him on timing," Leahy said.
An aide confirmed that Harkin was interested in a meat inspection bill and was looking into possible provisions.
Food industry groups opposed the administration bill as a power grab. They cited the record meat recall as proof the Agriculture Department already has all the power it needs because it can threaten to pull its inspectors from a plant.
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