Alert

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, successfully pushed for a number of critical priorities in the committee-passed spending bill for fiscal year 2016. The full Senate will now consider the bill.

In all, the bill recommends $143.8 billion in both discretionary and mandatory funding, $24 billion below the president’s budget request and $3.7 billion below the fiscal year 2015 enacted level.  The discretionary funding portion of the bill totals $20.51 billion, $65 million below the fiscal year 2015 enacted level. The majority of the bill is comprised of mandatory funding totaling $123.3 billion.

“Agriculture is the number one industry in Missouri, and the programs in this bill impact the lives of every person, every day, across America,” Blunt said. “I’m pleased the bill reported out of the Committee today prioritizes important agriculture programs, including research, rural development, conservation, food and drug safety, and nutrition. I look forward to the full Senate approving this bill, and I’ll keep working to support the agriculture industry in Missouri and nationwide.”

Blunt Provisions & Report Language Included in the FY2016 Agriculture Appropriations Bill:

• Policy Research Cooperative Agreements –$4 million is provided for agreements with institutions that provide complex economic and policy analysis. The Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri benefits from these agreements.
• National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Research and Education –$1.45 million for the Farm Business Management program to improve farm management knowledge and skills of agricultural producers.  The president’s budget does not include any funding for this program. Universities in Missouri and Missouri ag producers benefit from this program.
• Rural Housing Service, Rural Housing Insurance Fund, Disaster Waiver – Blunt requested bill language to allow applicants in any community with a current rural area waiver as a result of a natural disaster to apply for the section 502 guaranteed single family housing program. The 502 guaranteed program is a no-cost loan program for middle and low income households.
• Foreign Ag Service, Food for Peace –$1.466 million for the cornerstone of America’s international food assistance effort. The Food for Peace Program provides food aid to struggling communities overseas and connect the American farmer to these communities.
• ARS, Agroforestry Research –$1.5 million is provided for agroforestry research.  The University of Missouri in Columbia is a leader in agroforestry research.  Blunt also included the following report language:

• NIFA, Competitive and Formula Research Programs – The bill directs a minimum of FY2015 levels for these programs to help maintain America’s competitive edge as the most productive agriculture economy in the world. The programs develop and deliver significant advances that boost agricultural production and enhance food safety.
• National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Capacity Building for non-land grant colleges of Agriculture –The bill provides $5 million to assist non-land grant Colleges of Agriculture that offer a baccalaureate or higher degree in the study of food and agricultural sciences. Missouri has five non-land grant institutions:  Missouri State University, Northwest Missouri State University, Southeast Missouri State University, and the University of Central Missouri.