NEWS
House Appropriations Committee
Chairman Hal Rogers
Website address: http://appropriations.house.gov/
For Immediate Release: July 8, 2015
Committee Approves the Fiscal Year 2016 Agriculture Appropriations Bill
Bill will protect farmers and ranchers from overregulation, support rural communities, help the hungry, and maintain food and drug safety
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Appropriations Committee today approved the fiscal year 2016 Agriculture Appropriations bill on a voice vote. The proposed legislation funds important agricultural and food programs and services, including food and medical product safety, animal and plant health programs, rural development and farm services, marketplace oversight, and nutrition programs.
The bill totals $20.65 billion in discretionary funding, which is $175 million lower (1 percent) than the fiscal year 2015 enacted level and $1.1 billion below the President’s budget request. Including both discretionary and mandatory funding for various nutrition programs, the overall bill totals $143.9 billion. The legislation targets this funding to national programs that have the most benefit to the American people and the U.S. economy, while reducing inefficient, wasteful, or lower-priority programs and agencies. In addition, the bill contains several policy provisions to rein in regulatory overreach, such as unnecessary red tape that harms the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers and that impedes growth in vital U.S. industries.
“This bill is first and foremost a bill to support our economy – it targets funding toward important American agricultural industries and the development of rural communities, and away from unnecessary red tape that hinders economic growth and harms the livelihoods of America’s farmers and ranchers,” House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers said. “Importantly, the bill supports rural communities by funding basic rural infrastructure, providing vital loans to rural businesses, and helping those most in need with food and housing assistance.”
“The engine that drives the American economy is not necessarily built in factories but grown on American farms,” said Agriculture Subcommittee Chairman Robert Aderholt. “This bill puts resources to work in areas that not only help farmers, ranchers, and growers everywhere, but also supports rural economic development and infrastructure.”
The following amendments to the FY 2016 Agriculture Appropriations bill were adopted by the full committee today:
Rep. Aderholt – The amendment makes technical and non-controversial changes to the bill and report. The amendment was adopted on a voice vote.
Rep. Harris –The amendment would add a provision to grant legal protections from frivolous lawsuits to the users of partially hydrogenated oils until the compliance date issued by FDA. The amendment was adopted on a voice vote.
Rep. DeLauro – The amendment ensures U.S. food safety laws are protected in new trade agreements. The amendment was adopted on a voice vote.
The bill was adopted on a voice vote.
For a summary of the bill, please visit:
http://appropriations.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=394279
For the text of the bill, please visit:
For the bill report, please visit:
http://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/hrpt-114-hr-fy2016-agriculture.pdf
