On June 20, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the FY2014 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Related Agencies spending bill (as-yet-unnumbered), by voice vote. The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA, and Related Agencies approved the bill, by voice vote, on June 18. The House Appropriations Committee passed its version of the bill on June 13 (see The Source, 6/14/13).
According to the committee summary, the bill would provide $20.93 billion in discretionary funding in FY2014 for programs and agencies at the Department of Agriculture, FDA, and related agencies. This amount is $420 million above FY2013, $961 million over President Obama’s FY2014 request, and $1.48 billion over the House allocation for FY2014.
The bill would provide $2.552 billion for the FDA. This amount is $96 million above FY2013, $67 million above the House allocation, and $3 million above the president’s request.
The bill also would provide $1.466 billion for Food for Peace (P.L. 480) Title II grants. This amount is $33 million above FY2013 and $316 million above the House allocation. The president’s FY2014 budget proposed moving the Food for Peace program under the jurisdiction of the United States Agency for International Development. The bill also would provide $185 million for the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program, $1 million more than in FY2013, $4.86 million above the House allocation, and $126,000 below the president’s request.
The bill would provide $7.07 billion to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which would fully fund participation. This amount is $215 million above FY2013, $415 million above the House allocation, and $72 million below the president’s request. The bill also includes $50 million for breastfeeding support initiatives.
More information will be available following the release of the committee report.
