Should Congress allocate $26.27 billion in funding towards the FDA and other agricultural and rural development agencies?
H.R. 8646 allocates funding for various agricultural services and rural development, as well as to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The allotted funding is $380 million (1.4%) below last year’s. The bill includes various provisions related to national security, particularly agricultural land transactions by governments and/or entities from China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran, and it also prohibits the usage of poultry or seafood products from China in school breakfast and lunch programs. Additionally, the funds cannot be used towards retailers participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) unless the Secretary of Agriculture specifies the definition of “variety.” The bill also withdraws funds previously given to the ReConnect Program, a broadband loan and grant pilot program.
Sponsor: Rep. Andy Harris (Republican, Maryland, District 1)
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Opponents say
• "The FY2027 bill before us today drastically cuts fruit and vegetable benefits for over 5 million hungry women, infants, and children and it reduces funding for emergency food assistance. It eliminates the Healthy Food Financing Initiative and fails to help school districts with the equipment needed to cook “real food”... This bill also cuts staff at the agencies that our farmers rely on most – the Farm Service Agency, Rural Development, and NRCS – during a period of economic crisis in farm country. Water and wastewater grants are cut nearly in half for the smallest and poorest rural communities, which makes no sense. We still have rural neighbors living with clay pipes and without access to sewer service. Trust me, they are in my district and yours too. Clean water and working wastewater systems are a basic human need, not a privilege. This critical infrastructure is a quality-of-life issue." Source: Rep. Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (Democrat, Georgia, District 2), Ranking Member of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee
• "This bill cuts funding for ReConnect Broadband – a program designed to expand internet access in rural communities – by 20 percent. Broadband access is not a luxury; it is a necessity today. It drives economic growth by connecting people to the wider economy, including jobs and career training. It improves access to medical care, which is crucial when the nearest medical center may be an hour’s drive away, or more. And it expands educational opportunities, helping to ensure every child is equipped to succeed in the economy of the future. This bill does nothing to further protect our infants and better ensure infant formula safety, even in the wake of the ByHeart Botulism outbreak that took regulators and parents by surprise just a few short months ago. This bill leaves behind specialty crop, family, and small farmers while doing nothing to tackle the big agribusinesses that terrorize our farm economy and increase costs for the American consumer." Source: Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Democrat, Connecticut, District 3), House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member
Proponents say
• "This bill centers on the health and well-being of Americans. It strengthens rural development, protects nutrition access, and upholds the reliability of essential food and medical systems. It also takes further steps to safeguard American interests by strengthening guardrails of foreign purchases over agricultural purchases – and enhancing oversight of overseas drug manufacturing. Protecting our land and ensuring greater security across the supply chains we depend on are common-sense priorities we can all support. Further, it shifts the focus from spending more to spending smart – eliminating inefficiencies, ending Biden-era regulation, and holding every dollar to a higher standard. This measure is rooted in the people it serves – America’s producers, consumers, and communities. When we strengthen agriculture and protect public health, we ensure the long-term prosperity our country depends on." Source: Rep. Tom Cole (Republican, Oklahoma, District 4), Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee
• "This legislation reflects a clear, conservative commitment to fiscal responsibility while ensuring that America’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities remain a top priority and that all Americans have access to a safe food and drug supply. This legislation builds on the successful efforts of the Trump Administration to root out fraud, waste, and abuse, shrink the federal bureaucracy, and make USDA programs more farmer friendly. It sets USDA on a responsible and sustainable spending path that will make both the Department and our Nation stronger. Under President Trump and Secretary Rollins’ leadership, every taxpayer dollar will be spent in the pursuit of putting all American farmers and ranchers first." Source: Rep. Andy Harris (Republican, Maryland, District 1)
- Committee Approves FY27 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration Act (Press Release)
- US farm economy shows widening cracks as costs rise, jobs vanish (Reuters)
- Big retailers didn’t pull ByHeart baby formula fast enough after botulism recall, FDA says (Associated Press)
- SNAP stores will soon be required to stock more fresh foods | Here's what that means for shoppers (ABC10)
- Report Finds School Districts Struggle to Feed Children Amid Policy Changes, Rising Costs (Food Research & Action Center)
- A look at the latest effort to get more Americans in rural communities online (NPR)
- Rep. Andy Harris’ Largest Donors (OpenSecrets)
