Chamber of Commerce of the United States v. United States Department of Agriculture

MEMORANDUM OPINION

FLANNERY, District Judge.

This matter comes before the court on plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction, opposed by defendants. It presents a significant question of administrative law: whether in the absence of explicit statutory authority a federal agency can fund a study by a consumer group of the probable impact of proposed rules upon consumers. The court believes it can, and will deny the motion for a preliminary injunction.

Plaintiffs, The American Meat Institute (AMI) and the National Broiler Council (NBC) are composed primarily of packers and processors of meat…