House Passes Agriculture-FDA Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2010
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-3), chairwoman of the House Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks in support of the fiscal year 2010 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration Appropriations Bill on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill was passed on a bipartisan basis (266-160) by the House of Representatives. It also needs to be voted on by the Senate, approved by both chambers and signed by the President.
Below is the text of the floor remarks (as prepared for delivery).
I am delighted to present the 2010 Agriculture-FDA Appropriations bill. Thank you, to Ranking Member Congressman Jack Kingston for his collaboration and input over the last few months. I want to thank both the minority and majority staff as well for all of your tireless work and Ranking Member Lewis for his leadership during this process.
Lastly and especially not least a special thank you to Chairman Obey for his counsel and for the resources he provided to make this bill possible. This is always a very busy couple of weeks and you have provided the leadership and vision to ensure we continue to get things done and achieve our goals.
Our nation stands at a turning point. Today, we are talking about people's lives – struck hard by an economy in chaos, facing shrinking services, and struggling with rising prices and unemployment.
I believe the Administration's budget demonstrates that it is interested, after years of underinvestment in the federal government's capabilities, in protecting public health, supporting American agriculture, strengthening rural communities and conserving the environment. This bill proposes new investments in these priorities and the agencies that can help our country meet them, while making specific and sensible budget cuts where feasible.
As it has in recent years, the bill focuses on several key areas such as: protecting public health; bolstering food nutrition programs; investing in rural communities; supporting agricultural research; strengthening animal health and marketing programs; and conserving our natural resources.
The FY 2010 Agriculture-FDA Appropriations bill provides for $23 billion in funding, an 11 percent increase over 2009 levels, the vast majority of which went toward three program areas: WIC, FDA, and international food aid. Additionally, in order to make these important investments and use the resources available to it wisely, the bill proposes a number of cuts totaling more than $735 million.
To Protect Public Health
The bill provides a substantial increase for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to support a total discretionary funding level of almost 3 billion – almost $373 million [a 15 percent increase] – to hire additional inspectors and conduct more inspections of domestic and foreign food and medical products.
As many of us know, the FDA has been underfunded for far too long. This is not only a matter of public health and consumer safety – it is a matter of national and economic security. Not all of the dangers that threaten the health and safety of American families can be found in airports, border checkpoints, or harbor containers. Sometimes, they lurk in our fridges and on our kitchen tables. From E. coli in cookie dough to salmonella in peanut butter, we have seen very real threats posed by food contamination in recent years. And we just cannot afford to neglect our food safety system any longer.
The FDA's primary responsibility is to the American people, to ensure the safety of the food they eat, the drugs they take, and the medical devices they rely on. With this increased funding, they'll have the resources and manpower they need to keep us safe.
In addition, the bill fully funds the Administration's request for the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) at the USDA, providing over $1 billion [an additional 5 percent] for FSIS for the first time in history.
Conservation
Congress – and the American people – know that conserving our natural resources – cleaner water, reduced soil erosion, and more wildlife habitat – is critical to sustaining our prosperity. As such, the Committee makes a significant investment in USDA's natural resource conservation programs. The bill appropriates a total of $980 million to this purpose, or $73 million more than the Administration's request.
The bill rejects the Administration's cuts to the Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) farm bill conservation programs including the Wetlands Reserve Program, the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program, and the Wildlife Incentives Program. And it restores funding for other valuable programs, including the Resource Conservation and Development Program and the Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations Program.
Nutrition
This bill also works to improve nutrition and help those hit hardest by the current economic crisis. Food costs and participation in WIC continue to increase at dramatic rates. The bill provides $7.5 billion for WIC to serve our nation's vulnerable populations –ten percent above last year, to support participation of 10.1 million people.
WIC is a program that we simply cannot afford to underfund any longer, particularly given the gravity of the current economic climate. Our fundamental responsibility as legislators and as leaders, to say nothing of basic morality and fairness, demand that we do everything we can to help Americans suffering right now from poverty and malnutrition. Let us look past the numbers for a moment and make this very real: Each dollar we spend here means food on the table for a hungry mother or child.
International Food Aid The bill expands America's traditional commitment to international food aid by providing an increase of $464 million (27 percent) to P.L. 480 Title II Grants Program (the United States' primary international food aid program) and an additional $99.5 million to the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, doubling the FY 2009 amount.
Rural Development
This bill creates new opportunities for growth and development in the nation's small town economies by increasing funding for water and waste water infrastructure grants by $73 million, provides $8.7 billion for housing, $541 million for community facilities, and $9.3 billion for the rural utility programs.
Research
The bill also makes significant investments in agricultural research: $1.2 billion for the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). And nearly $1.25 billion for the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES). Funding for CSREES is nearly $82 million over the Administration's budget request, including increases in key programs such as Hatch Act, Evans-Allen, the new competitive Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, Smith Lever, the 1890 programs, and the Veterinary Medical Services Act.
CFTC
With the continuing volatility in the futures markets, the bill provides the Administration's request for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) -- $160.6 million (or $14.6 million [and ten percent] above 2009) -- in order to better secure the markets from improper speculation. Just yesterday, the CFTC moved to stem heavy speculative trading in the oil, natural gas, and energy markets. With this increased funding, the Commission will be better poised to ensure market integrity for all honest brokers.
In closing, I look forward to working with all of you today, as we work to craft responsible agriculture legislation that alleviates short term suffering, encourages long term growth, invests in our future and reflects our priorities as a nation.
I want to take a moment to thank our staff who have worked diligently to help put this bill together. The subcommittee Majority staff -- Martha Foley, our clerk, Leslie Barrack, Matthew Smith, and Kerstin Milius have worked closely with the David Gibbons on the minority staff. In addition, Brian Ronholm and Letty Mederos on my staff, and Merritt Myers from Mr. Kingston's staff have been of tremendous help to the subcommittee.
I hope Congress will seize this opportunity to help American farmers and families in these tough times, and get us moving again on the path to recovery.
I urge you to support this bill. Thank you.