Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
On September 7, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved en bloc, 28-2, three FY2012 spending bills, including the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies bill (H.R. 2112). The committee also approved the Energy and Water Development and Homeland Security spending bills in the same vote. The House passed its version of the Agriculture spending bill on June 16 (see The Source, 6/17/11).
According to the committee summary, the bill would provide $19.78 billion in discretionary funding for FY2012. This amount is $138 million below FY2011 and $2.509 billion below President Obama’s FY2012 request. The House bill would provide $17.081 billion in FY2012. The committee notes that the “bill reflects reductions below the Fiscal Year 2011 funding level in many programs. In making these difficult funding decisions, programs directly related to public health and safety and domestic and international nutrition assistance programs were prioritized.”
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) would receive $6.582 billion in FY2012 in the Senate bill. The program received $6.734 billion in FY2011; the president requested $7.39 billion for FY2012. The committee notes that the decrease in funding for WIC is due to “lower program participation rates than originally estimated,” but also notes that the allocation would fully fund participation in FY2012. The House bill would provide $6.047 billion for WIC in FY2012. Funding for WIC includes $60 million for the breastfeeding peer counselors program; the House bill would provide $75 million.
Other domestic nutrition programs would receive $382 million in FY2012; the programs received $393 million in FY2011.
The bill would provide $1.562 billion for the P.L. 480 Food for Peace program, an increase from $1.497 billion in FY2011. The House bill would provide $1.04 billion in FY2012, while President Obama requested $1.69 billion for the program.
The McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program would receive $188 million in FY2012 under the Senate bill. This amount is $11 million less than FY2011 and $12.5 million less than the administration’s request. The House bill would provide $180 million for the program.
The FDA would receive $2.497 billion in FY2012, as compared to $2.447 billion in FY2011. This amount does not include funding collected through user fees and is $234 million less than the president’s request, but $334 million over the House allocation.
Additional details will be made available when the committee issues its report.
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
On September 8, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies approved, by voice vote, its FY2012 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies spending bill (as-yet-unnumbered).
According to the subcommittee summary and chart, the bill would provide $55.15 billion in discretionary funding for programs within the Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development (HUD), as well as the Small Business Administration and other agencies. This amount is $217 million below FY2011 and $19.811 billion below President Obama’s request.
The Department of Transportation would receive $16.693 billion in FY2012, as compared to $13.726 billion in FY2011 and $32.504 billion in the administration’s request.
HUD would receive $38.085 billion under the House allocation. This amount is $3.017 billion below FY2011 and $3.994 billion below the president’s request. Included in the HUD total is funding for housing programs: $10.234 billion, which is $412.841 million over FY2011 and $252 million less than the president’s request.
Additional information will be made available once the committee issues its report.
