The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies bill provides a non-defense discretionary total of $25.313 billion for programs under the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee, $532 million (2.1%) below the FY23 enacted level and $3.622 billion (12.5%) below the FY24 President’s Budget Request. The Subcommittee’s allocation is $17.838 billion, and the House bill includes another $7.475 billion that is offset by clawing back the Democrats’ wasteful spending over the last two years and ending pandemic-era programs. The bill prioritizes agencies and programs that protect our nation’s food and drug supply; support America’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities; and ensure low-income Americans have access to nutrition programs. Fiscal Year 2024 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Bill

• Supports our rural communities and strengthens our national security and food supply by:
  • Continuing critical investments in agriculture research, rural broadband, and animal and plant health programs;
  • Providing sufficient funds to ensure the safety of food, drugs, and medical devices;
  • Ensuring that low-income Americans have access to nutrition programs;
  • Reining in harmful regulations that dictate how poultry and livestock producers raise and market their animals;
  • Preventing the purchase of agricultural land by foreign adversaries; and
  • Providing a $39 million increase for the Food Safety and Inspection Service to fully fund frontline meat and poultry inspectors.
• Reins in wasteful Washington spending and bureaucracy by:
  • Redirecting billions in the partisan bills that contained Democrats’ priorities (Inflation Reduction Act) to help America’s producers and rural communities;
  • Including a $32 billion decrease in mandatory SNAP spending from FY23 levels due to the end of increased pandemic-era benefits and a decrease in participation rates;
  • Restricting the USDA Secretary’s discretionary spending authority on unauthorized, non-emergency programs; and
  • Directing USDA to focus hiring efforts in state and county offices to assist producers and rural communities, rather than continuing to bloat the DC bureaucracy.
• Protects the lives of unborn children by:
  • Including a provision that ends mail-order chemical abortion drugs.

During the markup, Committee Republicans defeated amendments offered by the Democrats that would have:

• Allowed the FDA to continue mail-order chemical abortions.
• Promoted or advanced Critical Race Theory.
• Funded unnecessary and polarizing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
• Enabled the FDA’s failure to regulate and monitor the e-cigarette market and exacerbate the illicit market for tobacco products.
• Continued unnecessary spending for wasteful ‘green’ climate initiatives included in the IRA.
• Reinstate pandemic-era benefit levels.

 Adopted Amendments

• Harris (Manager’s Amendment) – makes technical, bipartisan changes to the bill and report.
  • The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
• Harris #2 (En Bloc) – rescinds wasteful spending in the IRA; ensures certain flags are flown at USDA, FDA, and CFTC facilities; and protects Americans against religious discrimination.
  • The amendment was adopted by a vote of 33 to 26.
• Newhouse – modifies the provision prohibiting the purchase of agricultural lands by the Communist Party of China, Russia, North Korea, or Iran to include non-resident aliens, foreign businesses, or any agent, trustee, or fiduciary associated with the listed adversaries.
  • The amendment was adopted by a vote of 34 to 26.
• Harris #4 – requires remaining REAP funds provided in the IRA to be available only as loans, not grants.
  • The amendment was adopted by a vote of 34 to 27.

Original source can be found here