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House passes FY 2021 Agriculture Appropriations bill
Story Date: 7/27/2020
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Source: CORNERSTONE, 7/24/20
This week, the House passed the FY 2021 Agriculture Appropriations bill. The bill was approved by a 224-189 vote as part of a four-bill package that includes the Agriculture-FDA, Interior-Environment, Military Construction-VA, and State-Foreign Operations appropriations bills
The $259.5 billion spending package provides $1.575 billion for USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture with specific emphasis on the 1890 and 1994 Land-grant Institutions. Details on funding for specific lines within NIFA can be found in our previous Report from Washington.
Several amendments were considered. Amendments which increase and decrease funding for a particular program are “messaging” amendments intended to create an opportunity for the sponsors to highlight a particular issue and provide an opportunity for further discussion in conference. The following amendments impacting funding for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture were adopted en bloc by a voice vote:
Rep. Courtney (CT) - Provides $750,000 for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative to research innovative practices to increase carbon storage in agricultural land, including Enhanced Rock Weathering. Research priority areas should include: carbon sequestration, practices for practical application, air quality impacts on surrounding communities, impact on soil health, and health impacts on workers and consumers.
Reps. Davis (IL), Panetta (CA), Hagedorn (MN), Maloney (NY), Takano (CA), Soto (FL), Welch (VT), Schrader (OR), Payne, Jr. (NJ), Cicilline (RI), Haaland (NM) - Increases and decreases funds by $10,000,000 for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative.
Rep. Jackson Lee (TX) - Increases funding by $2,000,000 for the USDA agency that provides grant research funding for “1890s Land Grant Universities,” which are 28 Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Maloney (NY) - Increases funding for the Crop Protection and Pest Management Program under the National Institute of Food and Agriculture by $1 million.
The four-bill minibus is the first of two spending packages the House plans to pass by the end of the month. The House will take up the next bill, a seven-bill package to fund the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Energy, Transportation, Justice, and Education, next week.
Meanwhile, the Senate has yet to begin the appropriations process for the 2021 fiscal year and markups have been delayed until after the August recess.
THE CORNERSTONE TEAM
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