The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved by a unanimous vote the fiscal year 2019 Agriculture Appropriations bill, which funds the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), among other agencies. The bill now heads to the full Senate for consideration.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said at the markup that, based on conversations between McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), both chambers expect to move the agriculture spending bill through the full chambers in June.
Total discretionary funding in the Senate legislation is $23.235 billion, which is $225 million above the fiscal year (FY) 2018 enacted level. The Senate bill allows for $145.1 billion in both discretionary and mandatory funding, which is $710 million below the FY2018 enacted level.
The FDA will receive under the Senate bill a total of $2.97 billion in discretionary funding, an increase of $159 million above the FY2018 enacted level.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will receive $1.05 billion in the Senate bill, a decrease of $7.5 million below the FY2018 enacted level.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, will receive $73.2 billion in required mandatory spending in the Senate bill, which is outside the discretionary funding jurisdiction of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Due to declining enrollment, this is $794 million below the FY2018 enacted level.
The House Agriculture Committee approved its version of the legislation by a 31-20 vote on May 16. The full House has not yet considered the bill.
Total discretionary funding in the House legislation is $23.27 billion, which is $14 million above the FY2018 enacted level. The House bill allows for $145.09 billion in both discretionary and mandatory funding, which is $922 million below the FY2018 enacted level.
The FDA will receive under the House bill a total of $3.1 billion in discretionary funding, an increase of $208 million above the FY2018 enacted level.
FSIS will receive $1.05 billion in the House bill, a decrease of $7.5 million below the FY2018 enacted level.
The SNAP program will receive $73.2 billion in required mandatory spending in the House bill, which is outside the discretionary funding jurisdiction of the House Appropriations Committee. Due to declining enrollment, this is $794 million below the FY2018 enacted level.
Once both chambers approve legislation, the chambers will conference to hash out the differences between the two bills. After a final version approval in both chambers, the bill will head to President Trump for his signature.
