DeLauro Announces Opposition to Agriculture Appropriations Legislation

"We Must Do Better"

WASHINGTON, DC—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) todayannounced her opposition to legislation that would fund the US Department ofAgriculture and Food and Drug Administration for fiscal year 2014. DeLauro is aformer Chairwoman and current member of the subcommittee that considered thelegislation today and voted to move it to the full Appropriations Committee.

The below remarks are as prepared for delivery:

"Thank you for recognizing me, Mr. Chairman. I tooacknowledge the hard work that you have put in to producing this bill andappreciate inclusion of some language I and others requested, like the languageon compounded drugs. But I, like Ranking Member Lowey, cannot supportthis bill as it stands.

"This bill fails to meet so many of the importantresponsibilities under this subcommittee's purview, and that threatens both thehealth and well-being of America's families.

"Take, for example WIC. WIC helps mothers and children withhealthy food when they need it the most – when the child is developing. The 7.3percent cut in this bill to WIC could result in over 200,000 pregnant mothersand infants losing nutritious food. Even factoring in the reserve fund,55,000 moms and kids will go without the nutrition they need. Thatis wrong, Mr. Chairman.

"Let me quote from a document that came out today from theCenter on Budget and Policy Priorities:

‘The bill bars the use of WIC fundsfor the Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program if that means there wouldn'tbe sufficient funds to serve all eligible low-income women, infants andchildren who apply. This prohibition would force WIC to cancel the breastfeeding program for most or all of the fiscal year…If enacted, this would markthe first time since the breast feeding program's creation in 2004--in responseto medical evidence on the health benefits of breastfeeding--that policy makershave denied funding to this part of the program.

‘If policy makers rely on thecontingency funds to meet funding needs that can't be anticipated even beforethe fiscal year starts, the fund may not be there when it's needed. Moreoverthe Contingency Fund won't help the Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program. Underthe bill, WIC must divert the breast feeding funds to cover any shortfall inpaying for WIC benefits before it can tap the contingency fund. This is whybreast feeding counselors, often low-income women themselves, would likely belaid off under the House bill.'

"Again, Mr. Chairman, I believe this is wrong.

"International food aid programs like Food for Peace havelong enjoyed bipartisan support, as they prevent children from dying. WitnessGeorge McGovern and Bob Dole. Food for Peace, in the words of Ronald Reagan, is‘an instrument of American compassion.'

"This bill shows no compassion when it slashes Food forPeace by 20 percent below last year. Moreover, when moving forward weshould undertake serious consideration of reforms being suggested.

"Also appalling is the fact that CFTC is funded $10 millionbelow this year. Americans want to see more accountability from WallStreet. To make that happen, we need enough cops on the beat at the CFTC, not acut in their funding.

"And yes, while FDA is increased one percent, it really isstaggering how much this agency continually gets underfunded. It has theresponsibility and the jurisdiction for guaranteeing the safety of over 80percent of the food supply.

"Report language aims to further slow the implementation ofmenu labeling and country of origin labeling – we should be speeding these up,not slowing them down. The bill also does not bar federal funds forinspection of horse slaughter facilities. And last, I have grave concernsabout an issue not addressed in this bill or report – the proposed acquisitionof Smithfield Foods by China's Shuanghui International.

"The extreme cuts contained in this bill are the directresult of the political choices that have been made by this Majority in theBudget they passed. It also violates the agreement made under the BudgetControl Act, which both Democrats and Republicans voted for. As Mrs. Lowey laidout, the funding level under that agreement was $1.058 trillion and it is nowat $967 billion. The Majority has chosen to let sequestration proceed and cutdeeper into the non-defense spending – like this bill – that is critical forthe wellbeing of American families.

"I simply cannot this bill because I believe we must dobetter."