03.17.14

Summary: FY14 Agriculture Subcommittee Markup

For Immediate Release: June 20, 2013

Contact: Appropriations Press Office: (202) 224-7363 Pryor Press Office: (202) 224-2353

SUMMARY

AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION AND RELATED AGENCIES FISCAL YEAR 2014 APPROPRIATIONS BILL

Full Committee Mark: June 20, 2013

Fiscal Year 2013 Discretionary Spending:        $20.51 billion

Fiscal Year 2014 Senate:                                    $20.93 billion

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee today approved the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies fiscal year 2014 funding legislation that totals

$20.93 billion, which is $420 million above the fiscal year 2013 enacted level.

The bill funds the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration, and provides critical investments in programs that will directly impact public health and safety, including nutrition programs, housing and water programs, agricultural research, food and drug safety, and international food assistance.

U.S. Senator Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), Chairman of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, issued the following statement:

"As a Senator from Arkansas and Chairman of the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, I fight hard to promote programs that strengthen rural America. That’s why I was proud to write a bill that makes smart investments in rural communities and supports our farmers and producers. Agriculture is a huge economic engine, and we need to support the millions of men and women who feed and clothe our nation."

U.S. Senator Barbara A Mikulski (D-Md.), Chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement:

"I want to commend Senators Pryor and Blunt for their bipartisan cooperation on this important bill. The Agriculture bill funds the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the gold standard in upholding drug, device, and food safety. This is smart funding for a stronger economy and safer country. In recent years, we’ve increased the FDA’s responsibility to ensure the safety of our food supply. And in this increasingly global market, we’ve relied on the FDA more than ever to make sure the drugs and medical devices we depend upon are safe and effective. We’ve also asked the FDA in recent years to help protect Americans from unsafe tobacco products. With all these increased responsibilities, must come increased resources, and we do that by increasing funding for the FDA by $96 million for a total of $2.56 billion for fiscal year 2014."

The bill also makes important reforms in order to streamline and make programs more effective. The bill provides the Administration with additional flexibility to implement developmental assistance around the world, while at the same time ensuring that American farmers and shippers continue to be directly involved in providing international food assistance. Multiple research programs are also streamlined in order to make their administration and outcomes more efficient and effective, and a number of additional programs were eliminated.

Highlights of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill:

Rural Development

  • Rural Development - Rental Assistance – The bill provides $1.015 billion, which is $135 million above fiscal year 2013. This increase will fund about 30,000 additional rental assistance agreements that will expire in fiscal year 2014.
  • Rural Development – Single Family Housing Direct Loans – The bill provides a loan level of $900 million, which is $24.4 million above fiscal year 2013. This funding will provide about 7,500 low and very low income rural households the opportunity for homeownership. 
  • Rural Development – Water and Waste Disposal Program – The bill provides a total loan and grant program level of $1.734 billion, which is almost $240 million above fiscal year 2013. This level of funding will assist approximately 975 rural communities to obtain clean water and sanitary waste disposal systems.

Public Health

  • Food and Drug Administration –The bill provides $2.552 billion for the Food and Drug Administration, which is $96 million above fiscal year 2013. This includes increases of $53 million to continue implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act and $19 million for improvements to medical product safety. The bill also provides full collection authority for all authorized user fees.
  • Food Safety and Inspection Service –The bill provides $1.02 billion for the Food Safety and Inspection Service, which is $7 million below fiscal year 2013, but $12 million above the budget request. This includes full funding for all federal, state and international inspection services.

Food Aid:

  • Food for Peace –The bill provides $1.466 billion for PL 480 title II grants, which is $33 million above fiscal year 2013. The bill eliminates approximately 17% of monetization ($20 million) and allows more flexibility for administrative activities for development programs. The bill also includes an increase of $18 million for emergency purposes.
  • McGovern-Dole –The bill provides $185 million for the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program, which is $1 million above fiscal year 2013. This program provides school feeding and promotes education, child development, and food security for some of the world’s poorest children.

Nutrition:

  • WIC – The bill provides $7.070 billion for the WIC program, which is $215 million above fiscal year 2013. This amount will fully fund participation. The bill also includes $50 million for breastfeeding support initiatives; $14 million for infrastructure; and $30 million for management information systems.
  • School Meals Equipment Grants – The bill provides $35 million for equipment purchases in school cafeterias to help schools prepare meals that are consistent with the new nutrition standards set forth in the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act.
  • Other nutrition programs – The bill provides full funding for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, Farmers Market Nutrition Program, and The Emergency Food Assistance Program.

Research

  • Agricultural Research Service (ARS) – The bill provides $1.123 billion for ARS, which is $51 million above fiscal year 2013, making critical investments in agricultural research throughout the country.
  • National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) – The bill provides $1.278 billion for NIFA, which is $75 million above fiscal year 2013. This amount includes increases of $26 million for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, $14 million for Hatch Act funding, and $14 million for Smith-Lever funding.

Farm Services

  • Farm Service Agency (FSA) –The bill includes $1.176 billion for the Farm Service Agency, which is the same as fiscal year 2013. This bill also includes funding to support $2.575 billion in farm ownership loans, which is an increase of $613 million above fiscal year 2013, and $2.724 billion in farm operating loans, which is an increase of $243 million over fiscal year 2013. These levels are expected to fully fund the demand for these loan programs.

Regulatory Programs

  • Animal and Plant Health and Inspection Service (APHIS) – The bill provides $825.8 million for APHIS, which is $3.9 million above fiscal year 2013. Funding includes the $20 million request to implement a nationwide program to control and eradicate feral swine.

Conservation

  • Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) –The bill provides $818.4 million for NRCS, which is $10 million above fiscal year 2013 to provide technical assistance to agricultural producers so they may continue to be good stewards of the land.

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