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Agriculture Committee Announces Hearing with USDA Secretary Vilsack and HHS Secretary Burwell to Examine Dietary Guidelines

Washington, September 17, 2015
Washington, D.C. - Today, House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (R-TX) announced a hearing with U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell on October 7 at 9 a.m. The hearing will focus on the process for developing the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA).

Earlier this year, Chairman Conaway sent a letter, along with Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) and Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC), to Secretary Vilsack and Secretary Burwell raising concerns about recommendations received from the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC). Conaway also signed on to a letter in March authored by Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) expressing similar concerns. Most recently, Conaway was joined by Ranking Member Colin Peterson (D-MN) in May seeking details from USDA and HHS on their plans for reviewing the more than 29,000 public comments that were received.

“Every American is affected by these nutritional recommendations, which is why it is essential for them to be based on sound, consistent, and irrefutable science. However, the DGAC greatly exceeded its scope with its February 2015 report by straying from traditional nutritional recommendations and advising on wider policy issues like sustainability and tax policy. The Agriculture Committee is committed to making sure the 2015 guidelines reflect the science, not the individual policy positions of DGAC members. I am thankful to Secretary Vilsack and Secretary Burwell for their time and attention into this matter, and I look forward to reviewing the process and content of the current recommendations,” Chairman Conaway said.