Funding for agriculture sails through its first steps in the Senate appropriations markup with zero debate.
Senators vote to advance the $25.8 billion dollar agriculture appropriations bill to the full committee.
Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin says that the $2.5 billion dollar increase from last year will help farmers and rural communities coming out of the pandemic.
“I’m pleased to report this comprehensive and bipartisan bill that supports American farmers, makes advancements in innovation, protects our food supply, increases market transparencies, and promotes the health and well being of the youngest and most vulnerable Americans by reducing poverty and food insecurity,” Senator Baldwin states.
The bill includes more than $7 billion dollars in disaster aid for farmers affected by drought and other natural disasters, according to North Dakota Senator John Hoeven.
According to Sen. Hoeven, “It’s really something that affects most of the country right now and so, the disaster assistance, the drought assistance that we’ve got in this bill is incredibly important, and so, I look forward to working with the members of this approps committee to make sure that we get that done for our farmers and ranchers.”
Sen. Baldwin also praised provisions for communities: “The bill also maintains critical rural development programs that improve the economy and quality of life in rural America. The Bill includes $32 million for the StrikeForce initiative that is designed to provide targeted economic development resources to rural counties with persistent poverty.”
While there was not any debate during the markup, Sen. Hoeven did caution the committee about the size and scope of the legislation.
“For the full approps committee, this is going to be a big issue which is parity on defense and nondefense spending, and I know both sides of the aisle, everyone knows that this is something that’s a real issue, but at least on our side of the aisle, we feel like we have to have parity on spending, and that we need to get a bicameral and bipartisan agreement to do that,” he adds.
The legislation will be considered in the full appropriations committee this Wednesday.
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