Source: HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE, 12/9/14


The House Appropriations Committee today unveiled the fiscal year 2015 Omnibus Appropriations bill, the legislation that will provide discretionary funding for the vast majority of the federal government for the current fiscal year.

The bill includes full Appropriations legislation and funding for 11 of the 12 annual Appropriations bills through the end of the fiscal year, September 30, 2015. The 12th bill, which funds the Department of Homeland Security, is also included in the legislation, but is funded under a temporary “Continuing Resolution” mechanism that expires on February 27, 2015.  

The package also contains emergency Overseas Contingency Operations funding to combat the emerging real-world threat brought by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and a total of $5.4 billion in emergency funding to address the domestic and international Ebola crisis.  

“This bill will allow us to fulfill our Constitutional duty to responsibly fund the federal government and avoid a shutdown. The 11 Appropriations bills in this package reflect specific, thoughtful, line-by-line decisions to target funds to critical programs, make reductions to lower-priority areas, and wisely invest the taxpayers’ hard-earned money. And by continuing current funding levels for the Department of Homeland Security, we allow the agency to maintain essential security functions for the next few months,” House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers said. 

Funding for programs within the 11 regular Appropriations bills were weighed individually and prioritized, with dollars targeted to the most important and effective programs, while lower-priority programs were cut. Also included in these 11 bills are important policy provisions to improve accountability and transparency, to ensure good government, and to put the brakes on harmful overregulation by federal agencies.
“This package makes the most of each and every dollar, roots out waste and abuse, reins in bureaucratic overreach, and provides stable funding for important national programs – including our national defense – for the remainder of the fiscal year. It reflects conservative priorities, yet it is also a compromise bill that can and should have wide bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. This is exactly the kind of legislation and bipartisan cooperation that the American people called for in the voting booths last month. Passage of this bill will show our people that we can and will govern responsibly,” Rogers continued.

Bill Highlights – 
Funding Level – The bill abides by all the terms set by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 (the “Ryan-Murray Agreement”), providing a total of $1.013 trillion for the operation of the federal government, and meeting the $521 billion defense and $492 billion non-defense budget caps. 

The legislation contains full funding for fiscal year 2015 for 11 of the 12 regular annual Appropriations bills, with the exception of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Homeland Security portion is funded under a temporary Continuing Resolution (CR). This CR maintains DHS funding at the current fiscal year 2014 level, and expires on February 27, 2015.

National Security – The Omnibus contains the fiscal year 2015 Defense Appropriations bill, providing funding for our nation’s security, military readiness, and resources for our troops at home and abroad. The bill will fund important Department of Defense programs and projects, a pay raise for our troops, and the advancement of our military operations to protect the nation from current and future threats. 
The bill also includes $64 billion in Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funding to provide needed resources and training for our troops in the field, to combat the threat presented by ISIL, to train and equip our Iraqi allies, and to reinforce European countries facing Russian aggression.  

Bolstering Job Creation and Reining in Bureaucratic Overreach – The legislation prioritizes funding for important programs that strengthen U.S. innovation and competitiveness, and that help our businesses thrive, such as small business loans, science research funding, resources to expedite domestic energy development, and critical infrastructure investments. 

The bill also includes many provisions to rein in regulatory overreach that causes job loss and harm to our economy. Some of these provisions include:
• A provision to prohibit the Export-Import Bank and OPIC from blocking coal and other power-generation projects – helping to increase exports of U.S. goods and services; 
• A provision prohibiting funds for the Army Corps of Engineers to change the definition of “fill material,” which could have harmful effects on many U.S. industries; 
• A restriction on the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) from implementing regulations harmful to the livestock and poultry industry; 
• Language amending Dodd-Frank swaps pushout requirements to protect farmers and other commodity producers from having to put down excessive collateral to get a loan, expand their businesses, and hedge their production;
• Provisions restricting the application of the Clean Water Act in certain agricultural areas, including farm ponds and irrigation ditches; and
• A provision prohibiting funding for the Fish and Wildlife Service to issue further rules to place sage-grouse on the Endangered Species List – an action that could have severe economic consequences in Western states. 
ObamaCare – The bill provides no new funding for ObamaCare, and holds the line on funding for the IRS and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services – the primary agencies responsible for the implementation of

ObamaCare.
Life – The Omnibus maintains all existing pro-life policy and funding provisions that have been carried in Appropriations legislation in previous years, including the Hyde Amendment, a ban on public funding for abortions in the District of Columbia, and a ban on abortion funding for federal prisoners.
The bill also includes new language allowing states increased access to abstinence education funding, new language directing the HHS Secretary to increase the transparency of abortion coverage within federal exchange health care plans, and new language directing HHS to quickly respond to claims filed by health care providers on conscience clause violations.

Other Policy Provisions – Many other important policy provisions are included in the Omnibus, such as: 
• A ban on the Administration’s onerous “light bulb” standard;
• Provisions to protect Second Amendment rights, including a prohibition on funding for the EPA to regulate lead content in ammunition or fishing tackle; 
• Bans and limitations on federal agency conferences and awards; 
• Provisions to stop the transfer or release of Guantanamo detainees into the U.S.; and
• A prohibition on funding for the IRS to target organizations for regulatory scrutiny based on their ideological beliefs or for exercising their First Amendment rights.

Savings and Oversight of Tax Dollars – The bill includes program cuts and oversight provisions to ensure the responsible use of taxpayer dollars. Some of these items include:
• No funding for high-speed rail;
• A $345.6 million cut and extensive oversight requirements for the Internal Revenue Service; 
• A $60 million cut and extensive oversight requirements for the Environmental Protection Agency;
• Oversight and monitoring requirements to weed out waste and abuse in nutrition programs; 
• No funding for contributions to the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO);
• A pay freeze for the Vice President and senior political appointees;
• No funding for the Administration’s “Race to the Top” program; and
• No funding for the International Monetary Fund.

FY 2015 Omnibus Summary – Agriculture Appropriations  

Targets funding for programs that support American farmers and ranchers, sustains food and drug safety efforts  

The Agriculture Appropriations bill included in the Omnibus prioritizes funding to support American farmers and ranchers – including agriculture production, promotion, research, and marketing programs. The investments will help build upon the record level of U.S. agricultural exports last year which support more than one million American jobs, and which are essential to the nation’s continued economic growth. The bill also funds important programs such as rural development, food and drug safety, and nutrition.   

In total, the bill provides $20.6 billion in discretionary funding – $305 million below the fiscal year 2014 enacted level – while cutting back lower-priority programs and rescinding unused funds.   

Agricultural Research – The bill provides $2.7 billion for agriculture research programs, including the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Funding is targeted to help stop and mitigate devastating crop diseases, improve food safety and water quality, and help address issues related to drought, invasive species, and herbicide resistance.   
Within this amount, the bill includes $325 million for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative for competitive agricultural research grants, $45 million to begin to rehabilitate the high-priority ARS facilities, and funding to maintain important investments in the nation’s landgrant colleges and universities  

Animal and Plant Health – The legislation includes $871.3 million – a $49.5 million increase above the fiscal year 2014 enacted level – for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). This funding will support programs to control or eradicate plant and animal pests and diseases that can cripple U.S. producers and entire agricultural industries. This also includes increases to fight citrus greening and an epidemic porcine virus.       Farm Service Agency (FSA) – The legislation provides $1.5 billion for FSA, which is $22 million above the fiscal year 2014 enacted level and $66 million above the President’s request. This funding will support more than $6 billion in loan authorizations for farm, conservation, and emergency loan programs for American farmers and ranchers.   

Rural Development – The bill provides a total of $2.4 billion for rural development programs, which is $173 million above the President’s request. These development programs help create an environment for economic growth by investing in basic infrastructure, providing loans for rural businesses and industries, and helping to balance the playing field for buyers in rural housing markets.  
Food Safety and Inspection – The legislation includes more than $1 billion for the Food Safety and Inspection Service, $5.8 million above the fiscal year 2014 enacted level. These mandatory inspection activities help ensure the safety and productivity of the country’s $186 billion meat and poultry industry, and keep safe food on American tables. The funding provided will maintain more than 7,800 frontline inspection personnel for meat, poultry, and egg products at more than 6,400 facilities across the country.    

The legislation also restricts the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) from implementing certain regulations that would allow harmful government interference in the private market for the livestock and poultry industry.  

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – The FDA receives a total of almost $2.6 billion in discretionary funding in the bill, an increase of $37 million over the fiscal year 2014 enacted level. Total funding for the FDA, including revenue from user fees, is $4.5 billion. Within this total, food safety activities are increased by $27.5 million, and various drug safety activities – including additional funds for foreign drug inspections, pharmacy compounding, and counterfeit drugs – are increased by over $20 million.  

Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) – CFTC is funded at $250 million, which is $30 million below the President’s budget request.  The legislation also promotes transparency, with a directive requiring a vote by the full Commission – instead of just staff – on financial regulations that greatly increase regulatory burdens for ranchers, farmers, and job creators.  

Conservation Programs – The bill provides $859 million for the Natural Resources Conservation Service to help farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners conserve and protect their land. This includes $12 million for dam rehabilitation to help rural communities ensure their small watershed projects meet current safety standards.  

Food and Nutrition Programs – The legislation contains discretionary funding, as well as mandatory funding required by law, for food and nutrition programs within the Department of Agriculture. This includes the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Child Nutrition programs.  
• WIC – This program provides supplemental nutritional foods needed by pregnant and nursing mothers, babies and young children. The bill provides full funding for WIC at $6.6 billion – $93 million below the fiscal year 2014 enacted level – which will ensure all eligible participants will be served. The bill also includes $25 million for states to transfer from paper vouchers to a more efficient electronic benefit transfer (EBT) system that will help identify waste and abuse within the program.   
In addition, a provision is included to ensure that all varieties of fresh vegetables, including white potatoes, are eligible for purchase through the WIC program. The provision also ensures that science-based requirements are used to determine which vegetables will be allowed for purchase in the WIC program.  
• Child nutrition programs – The bill allows $21.3 billion in required mandatory funding – which is outside the discretionary funding jurisdiction of the Appropriations Committee – for child nutrition programs. Of this amount, $25 million is directed to help schools purchase needed equipment to operate the program. This funding will provide for an estimated 7.7 billion school breakfasts, lunches and snacks for 31 million children who qualify for the program.  
The bill also includes a provision that provides flexibility to local schools to implement whole grain nutrition standards if the school can demonstrate a hardship when procuring whole grain products, and that ensures further reductions in new sodium standards will not take effect until supported by additional scientific studies.  
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – The bill allows $81.8 billion in required mandatory spending – which is outside the discretionary funding jurisdiction of the Appropriations Committee – for SNAP. This is $332 million below the fiscal year 2014 enacted level and $2.4 billion below the President’s request. This program provides food assistance to a monthly average of more than 46 million Americans.   
International Food Programs – The legislation contains $1.5 billion for the Food for Peace program, which provides emergency food aid to those in need, and bolsters U.S security interests abroad – including in Iraq and Ebola-affected West-Africa. This is $66 million above the President’s request. In addition, the bill provides $192 million, $7 million above the President’s request, for the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education Program to support food security overseas.   

Ebola Emergency Preparedness and Response – The bill provides $25 million in emergency funding to the Food and Drug Administration for activities related to the ongoing response to the Ebola epidemic, including potential expedited approval of human drugs and vaccines.