House takes up agriculture appropriations bill this week - Entrepreneur Generations

The House is considering a $24.3 billion agriculture appropriations bill this week. Of interest:

• Instead of slashing the budget by 15 percent as President Trump requested, it adds $1 billion to current discrectionary spending levels.
• The bill provides nearly $4 billion for rural development programs, including $680 million for rural broadband.
• It also budgets $1.8 billion for farm programs, including $30 million to assist in implementing the 2018 Farm Bill.
• The bill includes $38 billion for rural housing and water utilities, $3.3 billion for ag research, $829 million for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, full funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and and Women with Infants and Children program.
• An amendment would block the Agriculture Department from using funds to provide controversial "harvest boxes" to SNAP recipients.
• The bill prohibits use of funds for any costs associated with relocating the USDA's Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The USDA recently announced it would move those agencies from Washington D.C. to Kansas City.
• Amendments from Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis., would freeze funding for some food and nutrition programs until Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue can verify for Congress that every recipient has provided an ID card and passed a drug test before receiving services.
• Amendments from Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., would limit USDA support programs for the sugar industry and restrict marketing assistance loans for raw cane sugar and refined beet sugar.
• An amendment from Rep. Cindy Axne, D-Iowa, asks for an ERS report on the impact of the tariff war on U.S. farmers "in light of Russian efforts to expand agricultural exports to China."

from The Rural Blog http://bit.ly/2Xjw5bF House takes up agriculture appropriations bill this week - Entrepreneur Generations

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