WASHINGTON (DTN)—The House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday approved the fiscal year 2018 appropriations bill for USDA and related agencies on a voice vote after lengthy debates about issues that were not about the core functions of the bill.
The bill totals $20 billion in discretionary funding, which is $876 million lower than the fiscal year 2017 enacted level, but $4.64 billion higher than the president's budget request. The overall total USDA budget for both discretionary and mandatory programs is $144.9 billion.
It's unclear how Congress will handle agency appropriations, though, because the House Budget Committee has not completed its work in defining the parameters of the full federal budget for fiscal year 2018.
Democrats on the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee praised the bill at the beginning of the full committee markup, a sign that House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., had included many of their requests.
Rep. Charles Dent, R-Pa., also offered but then withdrew an amendment to limit non-recourse loans for sugar or sugarbeets to $40 million in any crop year. Dent said the sugar program and the recent agreement with Mexico to limit sugar imports are hurting confectionary jobs due to higher sugar prices. Dent's district includes the Hershey candy company.
Looking at Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, whose state is a major beet sugar producer, Dent said, because Simpson was smiling, "No candy for you."
Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., who comes from another major beet-sugar-producing state, said, "Dent is a sweet guy, but this amendment leaves a sour taste in my mouth."
Source: www.dtnpf.com