House Approves USDA’s 2021 Fiscal Year Spending Bill

WASHINGTON, DC – Funding for USDA and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) was approved by the House of Representatives on Friday. The $259.5 billion fiscal 2021 appropriations measure includes $24 billion of funding for the agencies.

For agriculture, the House included a $27 million increase for USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and $92 million additional dollars for the Agriculture Research Service (ARS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). In addition, the House approved one amendment that would prevent USDA from implementing the Defense Production Act, which would keep meatpacking plants online during a pandemic.

The overall spending bill also includes funding for Interior-Environment, Military Construction-VA and State-Foreign Operations, and now the measure goes to the Senate for consideration.
(SOURCE: All Ag News)