Today, the Full Committee met to consider the Fiscal Year 2024 bill for the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration Subcommittee. The measure was approved by the Committee with a vote of 34 to 27. 

The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies bill provides a non-defense discretionary total of $25.313 billion for programs under the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee, $532 million (2.1%) below the FY23 enacted level and $3.622 billion (12.5%) below the FY24 President’s Budget Request. The Subcommittee’s allocation is $17.838 billion, and the House bill includes another $7.475 billion that is offset by clawing back the Democrats’ wasteful spending over the last two years and ending pandemic-era programs. The bill prioritizes agencies and programs that protect our nation’s food and drug supply; support America’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities; and ensure low-income Americans have access to nutrition programs. Fiscal Year 2024 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Bill

• Supports our rural communities and strengthens our national security and food supply by:
  • Continuing critical investments in agriculture research, rural broadband, and animal and plant health programs;
  • Providing sufficient funds to ensure the safety of food, drugs, and medical devices;
  • Ensuring that low-income Americans have access to nutrition programs;
  • Reining in harmful regulations that dictate how poultry and livestock producers raise and market their animals;
  • Preventing the purchase of agricultural land by foreign adversaries; and
  • Providing a $39 million increase for the Food Safety and Inspection Service to fully fund frontline meat and poultry inspectors.
• Reins in wasteful Washington spending and bureaucracy by:
  • Redirecting billions in the partisan bills that contained Democrats’ priorities (Inflation Reduction Act) to help America’s producers and rural communities;
  • Including a $32 billion decrease in mandatory SNAP spending from FY23 levels due to the end of increased pandemic-era benefits and a decrease in participation rates;
  • Restricting the USDA Secretary’s discretionary spending authority on unauthorized, non-emergency programs; and
  • Directing USDA to focus hiring efforts in state and county offices to assist producers and rural communities, rather than continuing to bloat the DC bureaucracy.
• Protects the lives of unborn children by:
  • Including a provision that ends mail-order chemical abortion drugs. 

A summary of the bill is available here.

During the markup, Committee Republicans defeated amendments offered by the Democrats that would have:

• Allowed the FDA to continue mail-order chemical abortions.
• Promoted or advanced Critical Race Theory.
• Funded unnecessary and polarizing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
• Enabled the FDA’s failure to regulate and monitor the e-cigarette market and exacerbate the illicit market for tobacco products.
• Continued unnecessary spending for wasteful ‘green’ climate initiatives included in the IRA.
• Reinstate pandemic-era benefit levels.

 Adopted Amendments

• Harris (Manager’s Amendment) – makes technical, bipartisan changes to the bill and report.
  • The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
• Harris #2 (En Bloc) – rescinds wasteful spending in the IRA; ensures certain flags are flown at USDA, FDA, and CFTC facilities; and protects Americans against religious discrimination.
  • The amendment was adopted by a vote of 33 to 26.
• Newhouse – modifies the provision prohibiting the purchase of agricultural lands by the Communist Party of China, Russia, North Korea, or Iran to include non-resident aliens, foreign businesses, or any agent, trustee, or fiduciary associated with the listed adversaries.
  • The amendment was adopted by a vote of 34 to 26.
• Harris #4 – requires remaining REAP funds provided in the IRA to be available only as loans, not grants.
  • The amendment was adopted by a vote of 34 to 27.

Chairwoman Kay Granger’s opening remarks are available here.

Subcommittee Chairman Dr. Andy Harris’s opening remarks are available here.

 Bill text, before adoption of amendments in Full Committee, is available here.

Bill report, before adoption of amendments in Full Committee, is available here.

A table of included Community Project Funding requests is available here.

Original source can be found here.