031136 Meat-Label Bill May Carry U.S. Funding LoadNovember 15, 2003Washington - Congressional leaders will decide early next week if an agriculture spending bill best known as the battleground over country-of-origin labels for meat will become a catch-all funding bill for a broad range of federal programs, a congressional aide said on Friday. It was unclear whether a House proposal to block the labeling law for a year would prevail in such an omnibus spending bill. A House Appropriations Committee aide said the annual agriculture spending bill "is the leading candidate" to be the vehicle for wrapping up unresolved funding issues for the entire federal government. Congressional leaders want to adjourn for the year before Thanksgiving but lawmakers have yet to pass the annual appropriations bill for several federal departments. The aide said leaders would decide by early next week whether to expand the scope of the $79 billion bill, which now covers the Agriculture Department and related agencies. House and Senate negotiators would meet on Tuesday or Wednesday to reconcile disagreements. Up to now, the major disagreement in the bill was whether to require country-of-origin labels on beef, pork and mutton after Sept. 30, 2004. The House voted to block implementation of the labels during fiscal 2004, which began Oct 1. Senators adopted non-binding language last week that says the labeling law should take effect as scheduled. Grocers and food makers want the law repealed, while consumer and farm groups support the labels as a way to distinguish U.S.-grown meat from competitors at the grocery store.
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