WASHINGTON (AP) — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has acknowledged that it will be “several months” before meat inspectors are furloughed as part of across-the-board spending cuts that took effect March 1.

Vilsack detailed how the Agriculture Department will move forward on the furloughs at a House Agriculture Committee hearing Tuesday. He said each meat inspector will likely be furloughed 11 or 12 days, instead of 15 days as the Obama administration earlier claimed.

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