Chairman Bishop Floor Remarks on Six-Bill Appropriations Minibus

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Sanford Bishop (D-GA-02) delivered the following remarks on the House Floor in support of H.R. 8294, a minibus of six fiscal year 2023 appropriations bills:

I rise in support of H.R. 8294. As Chairman of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug, and Related Agencies subcommittee I am pleased to highlight the national priorities funded in our division.

The impact of the agriculture division is far-reaching and touches the lives of every citizen. We all eat the food, rely on the medicine and medical devices, and wear products made from fibers, such as cotton, made possible by this bill.

Our fiscal year 2023 allocation is $27.2 billion, which is $2.075 billion over fiscal year 2022.

The bill provides $4.2 billion for Rural Development initiatives, including more than $560 million for broadband expansion to provide economic development opportunities and improved education and healthcare services. The bill continues important funding for the Community Facilities Program that supports everything from libraries and fire stations to childcare centers and nursing homes.

Our bill fully funds the SNAP, WIC, and Child Nutrition programs. And it continues enhanced fruit and vegetable benefits for women and children, and it provides additional protections for SNAP recipients.

The bill provides $3.8 billion for agricultural research, which helps the United States to produce the most abundant and affordable food in the world, and it provides $3.1 billion in farm and conservation programs, which includes funding to address the impacts of climate change.

The Food and Drug Administration is funded at $3.647 billion in discretionary funding. There are important increases to help combat the opioid crisis, support unannounced inspections of foreign drug manufacturing facilities, and ensure the safety of infant formula.

And finally, the bill provides funding for 134 Community Project Funding requests, totaling over $191 million.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill. 

I want to thank Ranking Member, Dr. Harris, and his staff for helping produce this bill. And I want to thank my personal staff and the subcommittee staff for their for their extraordinary work on the bill. And of course, I thank Chair DeLauro and Ranking Member Granger, as well as the majority and minority staffs of the full committee.

Thank you and I yield back.