House Passes Ag Appropriations Spending Bill, Increases Research Funding, NCGA Notes (5-24-06)

By a vote of 378-46, the House of Representatives last night passed H.R. 5384, the fiscal year (FY) 2007 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies appropriations spending bill, which includes funding for programs important to corn growers, notes the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA).

The spending bill provides $18.4 billion in total discretionary resources, representing a decrease of $96 million less than the FY 2006 enacted level and $564 million more than President George W. Bush’s budget request. The bill also contains $76.1 billion in mandatory spending, primarily for farm programs and food stamps.

“Corn growers understand the tight budget environment we are in, and we are pleased that Congress has passed a spending bill that we believe will protect the current farm programs,” said Lisa Kelley, NCGA director of public policy. “We are especially pleased with the increase in funding for the Agriculture Research Service to conduct pre-harvest control of aflatoxin research.”

The research for Pre-Harvest Control of Aflatoxin was funded at $838,237, an increase from 742,500 the FY 2006 funding level.

During a series of votes on Tuesday, an amendment to the appropriations bill offered by Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) to cut the Market Access Program (MAP) was defeated 342-79. NCGA was notified earlier this amendment would be introduced and was able to work with members and state organizations to show the support corn growers have for this program. MAP was funded at $200 million. “The outcome of this vote reflects the hard work from everyone involved in agriculture to educate their representatives as to how MAP helps create export opportunities overseas and jobs here at home for American agriculture,” Kelley said.

The agriculture spending bill also provides 7 percent less funding to conservation programs. The House rejected an amendment offered by Rep. Gil Gutknecht (R-Minn.) to restore acreage in the wetlands reserve program to the maximum 250,000 acres authorized by the 2002 farm bill.

NCGA’s other funding priorities in the agriculture appropriations bill includes the APHIS Biotechnology Regulatory Service, funded at $11.343 million; the Foreign Market Development Program, funded at $34.5 million; National Research Initiative, funded at $190 million; and the Value-Added Product Market Development Grant Program, funded at $28 million.