| Sponsor | Rep. Kingston, Jack |
| Committee | Appropriations |
| Date | June 14, 2011 (112th Congress, 1st Session) |
| Staff Contact | Andy Koenig |
On Tuesday, June 14, 2011, the House is scheduled to begin consideration of H.R. 2112, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2012, under a rule. The bill was introduced on June 3, 2011, by Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA) and referred to the Committee on Appropriations. The bill is scheduled to be considered under an open rule (H.Res. 300) providing for one hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations. The open rule provides for consideration of any amendment offered that complies with the House rules. Under the rule, amendments would be considered following general debate pursuant to the five-minute rule.
H.R. 2112 would provide a total of $17.25 billion in non-emergency, discretionary budget authority in FY 2012 for government programs funded through the Agriculture and Rural Development Appropriations Act. The bill would represent a decrease of $2.67 billion or 13 percent below the FY 2011 funding level and a reduction of $5.03 billion or 22 percent below the President’s request. H.R. 2112 meets and surpasses House Republican’s pledge by bringing discretionary budget authority for Agriculture and related agencies down to FY 2006 spending levels.
The bill provides discretionary budget authority for a number of agencies, including the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration, the Farm Services Agency, the Commodity Assistance Program, WIC, and the Rural Rental Assistance Program. According to CBO, funding for programs paid for by the bill includes $107.15 billion in mandatory spending, which does not count against the subcommittee’s allocation for FY 2012. Mandatory funding programs include SNAP (formerly Food Stamps), child nutrition programs, and funding for the Commodity Credit Corporations. H.R. 2112 would contribute to an overall level of discretionary budget authority of $1.019 trillion for FY 2012, a reduction of $30.3 billion below FY 2011 and $121.5 billion below the president’s request for FY 2012. The following is a summary of the spending highlights and other provisions in the bill.
TITLE I-AGRICULTURE PROGRAMS
Farm Services Agency: The bill would provide $1.176 billion for the Farm Services Agency, which administers the USDA's farm commodity, credit, conservation, disaster and loan programs, for salaries and expenses. The appropriation is a reduction of $25.8 million or 2 percent below last year and $180 billion or 13 percent below the president’s request.
Agricultural Research Service Salaries and Expenses: The bill would provide $993.3 million for the salaries and expenses of the Agricultural Research Service, which administers programs that facilitate the marketing of U.S. agricultural products, including food, fiber, and specialty crops. The appropriation is a reduction of $139 million or 12.3 percent below last year and $144 billion or 12.7 percent below the president’s request.
National Institute of Food and Agriculture: The bill would provide $1.02 billion for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), a reduction of $195 million or 16 percent below last year and $184 billion or 15.3 percent below the president’s request. NIFA was established by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to “be an independent, scientific, policy-setting agency for the food and agricultural sciences, which will reinvigorate our nation's investment in agricultural research, extension, and education.”
Food Safety and Inspection Services: The bill would provide $972 million for Food Safety and Inspection Services, a reduction of $34.5 million or 3.4 percent below last year and $39.3 million or 3.9 percent below the president’s request. According to the Appropriations Committee, “This funding level will continue critical meat, poultry, and egg product inspection and testing activities, and supports an expansion of a poultry inspection pilot project that will lead to improving food safety.”
Animal and Plant Health: The bill would provide $793 million for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), a reduction of $73.6 million or 8.5 percent below last year and $44 million or 5.3 percent below the president’s request. According to the Committee on Appropriations, the bill would also allow the agency access to emergency funding should an unexpected agricultural threat emerge over the course of the year.
TITLE II-CONSERVATION PROGRAMS
Conservation Operations: The bill would provide $770.9 million for the USDA's conservation operations, a reduction of $99.5 million or 11.4 percent below last year and $127.7 million or 14.2 percent below the president’s request.
Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations: The bill would provide $15 million for Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations, a reduction of $2.9 million or 16.5 percent below FY 2011.
TITLE III-RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Rental Assistance: The bill would provide $890 million for the USDA's Rural Rental Assistance Program, a reduction of $63.7 million or 7 percent percent below last year and $16.6 million or 2 percent below the president’s request. The program provides an additional source of support for households with incomes too low to pay the Housing and Community Facilities Program’s subsidized rent.
Rural Cooperative Assistance Grants: The bill would provide $22.5 million for Rural Cooperative Assistance Grants, a reduction of $7.6 million or 25 percent below last year and $13.3 million or 37 percent below the president’s request. According to the USDA, the program is responsible for “establishing and operating centers for cooperative development to improve the economic condition of rural areas by developing new cooperatives and improving operations of existing cooperatives.”
TITLE IV-DOMESTIC FOOD PROGRAMS
WIC: The bill would provide $6.04 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), a reduction of $685 million or 10 percent below last year and $1.3 billion or 18 percent below the president’s request.
Commodity Assistance Program: The bill would provide $192 million for the Commodity Assistance Program, a reduction of $53.6 million or 22 percent below last year and $57 million or 23 percent below the president’s request.
TITLE V-FOREIGN ASSISTANCE AND RELATED PROGRAMS
International Food and Child Nutrition Grants: The bill would provide $180 million for the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program Grants, a decrease of $19 million or 9.6 percent below last year and $20 million or 10.2 percent below the president's request.
TITLE VI-FDA and RELATED PROGRAMS
FDA: The bill would provide $2.163 billion for the salaries and expenses of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a reduction of $283 million or 11.6 percent below last year and $567 million or 12 percent below the president’s request. In addition, the appropriation would provide $8 million for FDA buildings and facilities, a reduction of $1.2 million below last year and $4.2 million below the president’s request. Funding for the FDA includes appropriations for the Center for the Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, the Office of Regulatory Affairs, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, the Center for Veterinary Medicine, and Center for Toxicological Research.
SUMMARY TABLE
Total Budget Authority | |||||||
Program | FY 2011 Enacted | President's Request | H.R. 2112 | Change From FY 2011 | Change From Request | % Change from 2011 | % Change From Request |
Title I - Agricultural Programs | |||||||
Office of the Secretary | 5,051 | 5,883 | 4,293 | (758) | (1,590) | -15.0% | -27.0% |
Executive Operations | 84,735 | 121,303 | 73,593 | (11,142) | (47,710) | -13.1% | -39.3% |
Asst. Sec. for Civil Rights | 893 | 895 | 760 | (133) | (135) | -14.9% | -15.1% |
Office of Civil Rights | 22,692 | 24,922 | 19,288 | (3,404) | (5,634) | -15.0% | -22.6% |
Asst. Secretary for Administration | 804 | 820 | 683 | (121) | (137) | -15.0% | -16.7% |
Buildings, Facilities and Rental Payment | 246,274 | 255,191 | 209,595 | (36,679) | (45,596) | -14.9% | -17.9% |
Hazardous Materials Management | 3,992 | 5,125 | 3,393 | (599) | (1,732) | -15.0% | -33.8% |
Asst. Secretary for Congressional Relations | 3,869 | 4,041 | 3,289 | (580) | (752) | -15.0% | -18.6% |
Office of Communications | 9,480 | 9,722 | 8,058 | (1,422) | (1,664) | -15.0% | -17.1% |
Inspector General | 88,548 | 90,755 | 80,000 | (8,548) | (10,755) | -9.7% | -11.9% |
General Counsel | 41,416 | 46,058 | 35,204 | (6,212) | (10,854) | -15.0% | -23.6% |
Total Departmental Administration | 538,101 | 636,517 | 462,389 | (75,712) | (174,128) | -14.1% | -27.4% |
Under Sec. for Research, Education, & Economics | 893 | 911 | 760 | (133) | (151) | -14.9% | -16.6% |
Economic Research Service | 81,814 | 85,971 | 70,000 | (11,814) | (15,971) | -14.4% | -18.6% |
National Agricultural Statistics Service | 156,447 | 165,421 | 149,500 | (6,947) | (15,921) | -4.4% | -9.6% |
Agricultural Research Service Salaries and Expenses | 1,133,230 | 1,137,690 | 993,345 | (139,885) | (144,345) | -12.3% | -12.7% |
National Institute of Food and Agriculture | 1,214,798 | 1,204,769 | 1,020,000 | (194,798) | (184,769) | -16.0% | -15.3% |
Under Sec. for Marketing and Regulatory Programs | 893 | 911 | 760 | (133) | (151) | -14.9% | -16.6% |
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service | 866,799 | 837,418 | 793,200 | (73,599) | (44,218) | -8.5% | -5.3% |
Agricultural Marketing Service Program | 1,213,816 | 1,239,490 | 1,219,831 | 6,015 | (19,659) | 0.5% | -1.6% |
Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Admin Salaries and Expenses | 40,261 | 44,192 | 37,000 | (3,261) | (7,192) | -8.1% | -16.3% |
Food Safety and Inspection Service | 1,006,503 | 1,011,393 | 972,028 | (34,475) | (39,365) | -3.4% | -3.9% |
Farm Service Agency Salaries and Expenses | 1,202,290 | 1,357,065 | 1,176,500 | (25,790) | (180,565) | -2.1% | -13.3% |
Total Farm Assistance Programs | 1,757,884 | 1,916,576 | 1,629,378 | (128,506) | (287,198) | -7.3% | -15.0% |
Total Title I Discretionary Budget Authority | 6,885,427 | 7,139,886 | 6,207,780 | (677,647) | (932,106) | -9.8% | -13.1% |
Title II - Conservation Programs | |||||||
Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment | 893 | 911 | 760 | (133) | (151) | -14.9% | -16.6% |
Conservation Operations | 870,503 | 898,647 | 770,956 | (99,547) | (127,691) | -11.4% | -14.2% |
Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations | 17,964 | - | 15,000 | (2,964) | 15,000 | -16.5% | - |
Total Title II Discretionary Budget Authority | 889,360 | 899,558 | 786,716 | (102,644) | (112,842) | -11.5% | -12.5% |
Title III - Rural Development Programs | |||||||
Under Secretary for Rural Development | 893 | 911 | 760 | (133) | (151) | -14.9% | -16.6% |
Rural Development Salaries and Expenses | 191,603 | 234,301 | 161,011 | (30,592) | (73,290) | -16.0% | -31.3% |
Rental Assistance Programs | 953,724 | 906,653 | 890,000 | (63,724) | (16,653) | -6.7% | -1.8% |
Multifamily Housing Revitalization Program Account | 14,970 | - | - | (14,970) | - | -100.0% | 0.0% |
Rural Housing Voucher Program | 13,972 | 16,000 | 11,000 | (2,972) | (5,000) | -21.3% | -31.3% |
Rural Business Program Account Loans and Grants | 85,280 | 89,857 | 64,500 | (20,780) | (25,357) | -24.4% | -28.2% |
Rural Development Loan Fund | 12,316 | 17,265 | 8,500 | (3,816) | (8,765) | -31.0% | -50.8% |
Rural Cooperative Development Grants | 30,193 | 35,854 | 22,500 | (7,693) | (13,354) | -25.5% | -37.2% |
Rural Energy for America Program | 4,990 | 36,788 | 1,300 | (3,690) | (35,488) | -73.9% | -96.5% |
Total Title III Discretionary Budget Authority | 2,430,776 | 2,201,834 | 2,094,071 | (336,705) | (107,763) | -13.9% | -4.9% |
Title IV - Domestic Food Programs | |||||||
Office of the Under Secretary for Food and Nutrition | 811 | 828 | 689 | (122) | (139) | -15.0% | -16.8% |
WIC | 6,734,027 | 7,390,100 | 6,048,250 | (685,777) | (1,341,850) | -10.2% | -18.2% |
Commodity Assistance Program | 246,126 | 249,619 | 192,500 | (53,626) | (57,119) | -21.8% | -22.9% |
Nutrition Programs Administration | 147,505 | 170,471 | 125,000 | (22,505) | (45,471) | -15.3% | -26.7% |
Total Title IV Discretionary Budget Authority | 7,128,324 | 7,861,518 | 6,366,439 | (761,885) | (1,495,079) | -10.7% | -19.0% |
Title V - Foreign Assistance and Related Programs | |||||||
Foreign Agricultural Service Salaries and Expenses | 192,080 | 236,195 | 181,465 | (10,615) | (54,730) | -5.5% | -23.2% |
Food for Peace Title II Grants | 1,497,000 | 1,690,000 | 1,040,198 | (456,802) | (649,802) | -30.5% | -38.4% |
McGovern-Dole International Food and Child Nutrition Grants | 199,101 | 200,500 | 180,000 | (19,101) | (1,825,000) | -9.6% | -91.0% |
Total Title V Discretionary Budget Authority | 1,891,341 | 2,129,862 | 1,404,403 | (486,938) | (725,459) | -25.7% | -34.1% |
Title VI - FDA and Related Agencies | |||||||
FDA Salaries and Expenses | 2,447,021 | 2,730,910 | 2,163,451 | (283,570) | (567,459) | -11.6% | -20.8% |
FDA Buildings and Expenses | 9,980 | 13,055 | 8,788 | (1,192) | (4,267) | -11.9% | -32.7% |
Commodity Future Trading Commission | 202,270 | 308,000 | 171,930 | (30,340) | (136,070) | -15.0% | -44.2% |
Total Title VI Discretionary Budget Authority | 2,659,271 | 3,051,965 | 2,344,169 | (315,102) | (707,796) | -11.8% | -23.2% |
Title VII - General Provisions, Limitations, and Rescissions | (1,664,395) | (935,197) | (1,906,000) | (241,605) | (970,803) | 14.5% | 103.8% |
Total (According to CBO, in millions) | 19,922 | 22,282 | 17,241 | (2,681) | (5,041) | -13.5% | -22.6% |
According to CBO, H.R. 2112 would provide $17.241 billion in discretionary budget authority for programs funded through the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2012.