WASHINGTON – The U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture approved the fiscal 2009 funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission.

The measure reportedly provides more than $20.6 billion in total discretionary spending, a rise over the previous year’s funding by $2.5 billion.

The bill includes $18.4 billion in funds for the USDA. The items included in the USDA portion of the bill include:

•           Limiting language prohibiting the establishment or implementation of a rule allowing poultry products to be imported into the U.S. for the People’s Republic of China.

•           $953.9 million for the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS)

•           $14.5 million for the National Animal Identification System.

•           $9.8 million for the implementation of country of origin labeling (COOL).

Source: American Meat Institute