This week the House Appropriations Committee approved the FY2020 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies bill on a vote of 29 to 21, sending it to the House floor for a vote in the coming weeks. The legislation funds agencies and programs within the Department of Agriculture, the Farm Credit Administration, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the Food and Drug Administration.
According to the Committee’s press release, total discretionary funding in the bill is $24.310 billion – $1 billion above the fiscal year 2019 enacted level. In total, the bill allows for $155.3 billion in both discretionary and mandatory funding – $3.2 billion above the fiscal year 2019 enacted level.
As approved by the committee, the legislation includes the full $255 million for Agricultural Trade Promotion and Facilitation, as authorized in the 2018 Farm Bill. As a result, the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program will receive no less than $200 million and $34.5 million respectively for FY 2020.
The following amendments to the bill were adopted by the full Committee:
Rep. Aderholt (R-AL) #1 –The amendment restores language relating to genetic modification of embryos carried in the last four years. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
Rep. DeLauro (D-CT) #1, cosponsored by Rep. Price (D-NC) –The amendment blocks USDA from issuing a final rule on swine inspection pending OIG study. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
Rep. Newhouse (R-WA) #1 – The amendment blocks USDA from transferring or altering the jurisdiction over the Forest Service Job Corps. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
A summary of the bill can be found here. For further details, the text of the bill can be found here, and the bill report is available here.
