The House Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee passed its annual agriculture appropriations bill for fiscal year 2019 on Wednesday. The bill is reported to the full committee for consideration.
Total discretionary funding in the legislation is $23.27 billion, which is $14 million above the fiscal year 2018 enacted level. The bill allows for $145.09 billion in both discretionary and mandatory funding, which is $922 million below the fiscal year 2018 enacted level.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will receive under the bill a total of $3.1 billion in discretionary funding, an increase of $208 million above the 2018 enacted level. Agricultural research programs will see a $72 million increase in funding above 2018 enacted levels.
The Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) will receive $1.05 billion, a decrease of $7.5 million below the 2018 enacted level.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, will receive $73.2 billion in required mandatory spending, a decrease of $794 million below the 2018 enacted level.
If the full Appropriations committee votes in favor of the bill, it will be considered by the full House. It is common for such individual spending bills to be bundled together into one “omnibus” appropriations bill for all government spending.
