$23.2 Billion in Funding For the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Conservation Programs (H.R. 265)

What is H.R. 265?

(Updated April 6, 2019)

This section of the bill would provide a total of $23.235 billion in discretionary funding to support the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, rural development, and conservation programs for fiscal year 2019 — an increase of $225 million from the prior year. It’d also authorize $121.8 billion for mandatory nutrition programs, which is $710 million below the prior year due in part due to fewer individuals seeking nutrition assistance. A breakdown of the bill’s various provisions can be found below.

Food and Nutrition Programs: This section would provide discretionary and mandatory funding for USDA’s food and nutrition programs, including:

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): $73.219 billion in required mandatory funding would be provided, which is $794 million below the prior year.

• Child Nutrition Programs: $23.184 billion in mandatory funding, which would provide meals for an estimated 30.7 million participants.

• Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): $6.15 billion in discretionary funding, a decrease of $25 million — which is based on USDA enrollment estimates and won’t prevent eligible participants from getting benefits.

Rural Development: This section would provide $3.8 billion in FY19 funding, of which $825 million would be dedicated for infrastructure investments. It’d provide for the development of rural broadband, and finance $1.25 billion in loans for water & electric infrastructure, $24 billion in rural housing & rental assistance, and $1 billion in loans for rural businesses.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA): This section would provide $2.97 billion in discretionary FY19 funding for the FDA, an increase of $159 million (the FDA gets another $2.5 billion in funding from user fees). It’d provide:

• $88.5 million of medical product initiatives, including full funding for the Oncology Center of Excellence;

• $70 million as authorized in the 21st Century Cures Act;

• $66 million for opioid prevention efforts; and

• $15 million for food safety initiatives.

Agricultural Research: This section would provide $2.73 billion to support research conducted by the Agricultural Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Formulas used to determine research funding for land grant universities would be maintained at the prior year’s levels.

International Programs:

• $1.716 billion would be made available for Food for Peace grants, which support the delivery of American-grown food to foreign countries experiencing chronic hunger crises.

• The McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program would be funded with $210 million, including $15 million for the Local and Regional Food Aid Procurement at the Foreign Agriculture Service.

Argument in favor

This bill would fully fund the Dept. of Agriculture, which is currently affected by the shutdown, through September so that it can carry out its programs for agricultural research, food safety, rural development, and nutrition.

Argument opposed

While this bill may be bipartisan, it has no chance of becoming law unless a deal is struck on border security. Congress should focus on reaching an overarching funding compromise.

Impact

Food, agriculture, and nutrition programs; and the USDA.

Cost of H.R. 265

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

Additional Info

In-Depth: House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey released the following statement on the introduction of this bill funding the Dept. of Agriculture and related programs through September:

“This legislation is virtually identical to the FY19 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies bill that passed the Senate Appropriations Committee on a 31-0 vote and was adopted by the full Senate on a 92-6 vote. It provides $23.235 billion in discretionary funding, $225 million above the FY2018 enacted level. In addition, it provides the latest estimates for mandatory programs required by law. The legislation will end the Trump Shutdown and support agriculture, rural development, conservation programs, and food and drug safety, as well providing essential nutrition assistance for children, families, and seniors at home, as well as food assistance overseas through September 30.”

President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) have said that no funding bills will become law unless the $5.7 billion border security funding request is included.

House Democrats passed a version of this bill as part of a $271 billion “minibus” funding package that funded all agencies impacted by the government shutdown (except for Homeland Security) on the first day of the 116th Congress.

A similar version of this legislation passed the Senate Appropriations Committee on a 31-0 vote as a standalone bill during the last Congress. It was then added to a broader “minibus” funding package that passed the Senate as a whole on a 92-6 vote.