House Postpones FDA Appropriations Mark-up

The House Appropriations committee mark-up scheduled for Tuesday, July 27 has been postponed. According to the committee office, it is unlikely to be rescheduled before the House’s August recess, which starts at the end of this week. As a result, the Agriculture/FDA appropriations bill for FY 11 could not be considered by the Appropriations committee before the week of September 13, when Congress returns to DC.We do not read any significance into the failure to hold the mark-up today. During the time scheduled for the mark-up, the members of the Appropriations committee have been preparing for House floor debate on the FY 2010 War Supplemental bill. The House and Senate need to enact this legislation before recessThe Senate is scheduled to work one more week before going on recess. It is possible that the Agriculture/FDA appropriations bill, passed by committee on July 15, could be taken up by the Senate before they leave. Otherwise, the earliest opportunity for floor consideration of the bill would be the week of September 13.