Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 8/2/18

The Senate passed a four-bill spending package Wednesday to fund a host of federal agencies for fiscal 2019, including USDA. The legislation would allocate about $20.2 billion in discretionary spending for USDA and nearly $3 billion for FDA. For the two agencies together, the Senate proposes spending $225 million above the current enacted level.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate hopes to send to conference nine out of the 12 spending bills with the House and then send them to President Donald Trump's desk shortly after Labor Day. He has not said what will come of the remaining three measures, which would fund State, Homeland Security, Justice and Commerce, as well as foreign operations and science programs.

Trump's veto threat: The president, however, is threatening to derail the process with a veto-spurred government shutdown tied to border security, report POLITICO's Jennifer Scholtes and Kaitlyn Burton.

This week, the president said he's willing to force a shutdown if he isn't satisfied with Congress' action on immigration enforcement, border security and funding for his campaign promise to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump hasn't indicated whether he's willing to veto legislation aside from Homeland Security, or if he would turn down a continuing resolution to keep funding at current levels for all or part of the government.

Dairy labeling makes a cameo appearance: When debating the so-called minibus, H.R. 6147, on Wednesday, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) offered an amendment that, in effect, would block FDA's planned effort to crack down on having the term "milk" used to market plant-based alternatives like soy and almond beverages. The proposal was handily defeated 14-86, Jen and Kaitlyn write.

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said during the POLITICO Pro Summit last month that the agency will soon issue a guidance document outlining changes to its "standards-of-identity" for labeling milk.

The National Milk Producers Federation, which lobbied against Lee's amendment, said in a statement that the Senate's rejection should send the message to food manufacturers that their days of "inappropriately" using dairy terms on products that don't contain dairy are numbered. The organization argues such labeling is misleading to consumers, but advocates of plant-based food contend the dairy sector hasn't offered any credible evidence to support that assertion.

Defending maple: The agricultural appropriations bill would also block FDA from requiring maple syrup and honey to bear an "added sugars" label under the Nutrition Facts panel update. Maine Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King touted that they secured the provision in order to make sure consumers aren't misled into thinking that pure maple syrup or honey contains artificial sweeteners like corn syrup.