Note: Due to the late enactment of the FY2013 appropriation, this report summarizes action only through the end of the 112th Congress. Final amounts for FY2013 are presented in CRS Report R43110, Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2014 and FY2013 (Post-Sequestration) Appropriations.
The Agriculture appropriations bill provides funding for all of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) except the Forest Service, plus the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and, in alternating years, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
FY2013 has begun under a continuing resolution (CR; P.L. 112-175) that lasts until March 27, 2013. The CR funds discretionary operations at FY2012 levels plus 0.612%.
In the 112th Congress, both the House and Senate had committee-reported bills for FY2013 Agriculture appropriations, though neither bill reached the floor in its chamber. The Senate Appropriations committee reported S. 2375 (S.Rept. 112-163) on April 26, 2012. The House subcommittee marked up its bill on June 6, 2012, followed by full committee action on H.R. 5973 (H.Rept. 112-542) on June 19, 2012.
The Senate-reported bill would have increased discretionary Agriculture appropriations to $20.8 billion, an increase of $1.2 billion (+6.2%) above FY2012 levels, after adjusting for the inclusion of disaster provisions and CFTC appropriations in FY2012 (Table 2). Without these adjustments, the Senate-reported discretionary amount was about $700 million (+3.5%) above FY2012.
The House-reported bill would have reduced discretionary Agriculture appropriations to $19.4 billion, a cut of $365 million below FY2012 levels, after adjusting for the inclusion of disaster provisions in FY2012 (Table 2). Without this adjustment, the House-reported discretionary amount was about $675 million (-3.3%) below FY2012.
The Senate bill would have differed from FY2012 primarily by increasing discretionary domestic nutrition programs (+$438 million), agricultural research (+$64 million), rural development (+$50 million), the FDA (+$24 million), and the Farm Service Agency (+$14 million), and reducing the use of rescissions and limits on mandatory programs (-$672 million).
The House bill would have differed from FY2012 and from the Senate bill primarily by decreasing rural development (-$153 million from FY2012, -$204 million from the Senate), international food aid (-$324 million from FY2012 and the Senate bill), agricultural research (−$35 million from FY2012, -$99 million from the Senate bill), the Farm Service Agency (-$35 million from FY2012, -$50 million from the Senate bill), animal and plant health programs (-$30 million from FY2012 and the Senate bill), the CFTC (-$25 million from FY2012, -$128 million from the Senate bill), the FDA (-$25 million from FY2012, -$50 million from the Senate bill), and discretionary conservation programs (-$16 million from FY2012, -$2 million from the Senate bill); and by increasing discretionary domestic nutrition programs (+$295 million from FY2012, −$143 million from the Senate bill) and reducing the use of limits on mandatory programs (-$154 million from FY2012, +$403 million over the Senate bill). The House bill also had policy-related provisions that would have removed a 2011 livestock and poultry marketing rule, tightened farm commodity program payment limits, and required USDA to allow white potatoes for the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) feeding program.
The Agriculture appropriations bill—formally known as the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act—provides funding for the following agencies and departments:
Jurisdiction is with the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations, and their respective Subcommittees on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. The bill includes both mandatory and discretionary spending, although most decision making concerns discretionary spending. See Appendix A for more on scope and terminology.
Enacted Appropriation Presented in Separate Report This report summarizes action through the end of the 112th Congress. Due to late enactment, final amounts are in CRS Report R43110, Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2014 and FY2013 (Post-Sequestration) Appropriations. |
Both the House and the Senate reported bills for FY2013 Agriculture appropriations (Table 1). The Senate full committee moved first, reporting S. 2375 (S.Rept. 112-163) on April 26, 2012. The House subcommittee marked up its bill on June 6, 2012, followed by full committee action on H.R. 5973 (H.Rept. 112-542) on June 19, 2012. No further action occurred on the bills in the 112th Congress. FY2013 began under a continuing resolution (CR; P.L. 112-175) that lasts until March 27, 2013. The CR funds discretionary operations at FY2012 levels plus 0.612%, continues mandatory programs as needed, and continues other terms and conditions that were applicable in FY2012. Table 2 summarizes the bill totals, as proposed in the 112th Congress, by title.
Subcommittee |
Committee |
Initial Passage |
Conference Agreement |
Public Law |
|||||
House |
Senate |
House |
Senate |
House |
Senate |
Report |
House |
Senate |
|
6/6/2012 Voice vote Drafta |
Polled outb |
6/19/2012 Voice vote |
4/26/2012 28-1 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
Source: CRS.
a. The House subcommittee posted a draft of the bill before markup at http://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/bills-112-hr-sc-ap-fy13-agriculture.pdf.
b. A procedure that permits a bill to advance if subcommittee members independently agree to move it along.
Table 2. Agriculture and Related Agencies Appropriations, by Title: FY2010-FY2013
(budget authority in millions of dollars)
FY2010 |
FY2011 |
FY2012 |
FY2013 |
Change from FY2012 to FY2013 |
||||||||||||
Title in Appropriations Bill |
Admin request |
House report |
Senate report |
House |
Senate |
|||||||||||
Agricultural Programs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Mandatory |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Discretionary |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Conservation Programs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Rural Development |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Domestic Food Programs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Mandatory |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Discretionary |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Foreign Assistance |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
FDA |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
CFTC (in Agriculture)a |
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
||||||||
CFTC (in Financial Services)a |
— |
|
— |
— |
— |
|
— |
— |
||||||||
General Provisions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Mandatory |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Discretionary |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Total |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Other scorekeeping adjustments |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Subtract disaster declaration |
|
|
|
|
|
|
— |
— |
||||||||
Adj. total without CFTC in any column (Senate basis)a |
||||||||||||||||
Discretionary |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Total |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Adj. total with CFTC in all columns (House basis)a |
||||||||||||||||
Discretionary |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Total |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source: CRS, compiled from H.R. 5973, S. 2375, S. 3301, P.L. 112-55, P.L. 112-10, P.L. 111-80, and CBO tables.
Notes: Regular appropriations only; does not include supplemental appropriations of $549 million in FY2010.
a. CFTC is shown in different ways because of subcommittee jurisdiction differences between the House and Senate to make totals comparable.
In the past 14 years, stand-alone Agriculture appropriations bills were enacted five times, in FY2000-FY2002, FY2006, and FY2010 (Table B-1 in Appendix B). Omnibus appropriations were used seven times, in FY1999, FY2003-FY2005, FY2008, FY2009, and FY2012. Year-long continuing resolutions were used twice, in FY2007 and FY2011. Figure B-1 shows the timeline.
Amounts in this report are based on H.R. 5973 and S. 2375 in the 112th Congress and not the continuing resolution. For enacted post-sequestration amounts, see CRS Report R43110, Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2014 and FY2013 (Post-Sequestration) Appropriations.
The Senate Appropriations committee approved its FY2013 Agriculture appropriations bill (S. 2375, S.Rept. 112-163) by a vote of 28-1 on April 26, 2012. The full committee bypassed subcommittee action by "polling" the bill out of subcommittee—a procedure that permits a bill to advance if subcommittee members independently agree to move it along.1 This expedited procedure, formerly uncommon for Agriculture appropriations, has been used since FY2009.
The Senate-reported bill would have increased discretionary Agriculture appropriations to $20.8 billion, an increase of $1.2 billion (+6.2%) above FY2012 levels, after adjusting for the inclusion of disaster provisions and CFTC appropriations in FY2012 (Table 2). Without these adjustments, the Senate-reported discretionary amount was about $700 million (+3.5%) above FY2012.
The Senate bill would have differed from the enacted FY2012 appropriation primarily by increasing discretionary domestic nutrition programs (+$438 million), agricultural research (+$64 million), rural development (+$50 million), the FDA (+$24 million), and the Farm Service Agency (+$14 million), and by reducing the use of rescissions and limits on mandatory programs (-$672 million; see Table 3).
The House Agriculture appropriations subcommittee marked up its FY2013 bill by voice vote on June 6, 2012. The full House Appropriations committee reported the bill (H.R. 5973, H.Rept. 112-542) by voice vote on June 19, 2012. On June 21, the Rules Committee met to report an open rule for floor consideration (H.Res. 697). The rule was adopted on June 26 to allow consideration of the Transportation-Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill, also part of H.Res. 697, but action on the Agriculture bill was postponed because of expected action on the farm bill.2
The House-reported bill would have reduced discretionary Agriculture appropriations to $19.4 billion, a cut of $365 million from FY2012 levels, after adjusting for the inclusion of disaster provisions in FY2012 (Table 2). Without this adjustment, the House-reported discretionary amount was about $675 million (-3.3%) below FY2012.
The House bill would have differed from FY2012 and the Senate bill primarily by decreasing rural development (-$153 million from FY2012, -$204 million from the Senate), international food aid (-$324 million from FY2012 and the Senate bill), agricultural research (-$35 million from FY2012, -$99 million from the Senate bill), the Farm Service Agency (-$35 million from FY2012, -$50 million from the Senate bill), animal and plant health programs (-$30 million from FY2012 and the Senate bill), the CFTC (-$25 million from FY2012, -$128 million from the Senate bill), the FDA (-$25 million from FY2012, -$50 million from the Senate bill), and discretionary conservation programs (-$16 million from FY2012, -$2 million from the Senate bill); and by increasing discretionary domestic nutrition programs (+$295 million from FY2012, -$143 million from the Senate bill) and reducing the use of limits on mandatory programs (-$154 million from FY2012, +$403 million over the Senate bill; see Table 3).
The House bill also has policy-related provisions that would have removed a 2011 livestock and poultry marketing rule, tightened farm commodity program payment limits, and required USDA to allow white potatoes for the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) feeding program.
The Administration opposed the cuts in the House bill, particularly to CFTC, rural development, renewable energy, domestic nutrition, food safety, and international food aid, and opposes the programmatic restrictions on the livestock and poultry marketing rule, as well as the WIC program.3
Enacted Appropriation Presented in Separate Report Due to the late enactment of the FY2013 appropriation, this report summarizes action only through the end of the 112th Congress, including the Administration's request and amounts proposed in House and Senate. Final amounts for FY2013 are presented in CRS Report R43110, Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2014 and FY2013 (Post-Sequestration) Appropriations. |
.
Table 3. Agriculture and Related Agencies Appropriations, by Agency and Program: FY2010-FY2013
(budget authority in millions of dollars)
Change from FY2012 to FY2013 |
Senate over House |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FY2010 |
FY2011 |
FY2012 |
FY2013 |
House |
Senate |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Agency or Major Program |
Admin request |
House report |
Senate report |
$ |
% |
$ |
% |
$ |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Title I: Agricultural Programs |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offices of Sec., Tribal Rel., Chief Econ. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Healthy Food Financing Initiative |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chief Information Officer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Office of Inspector General |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Buildings, facilities, and rental payments |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Other Departmental administration officesa |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Under Secretaries (four offices in Title I)b |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Research, Education and Economics |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Agricultural Research Service |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
National Institute of Food & Agriculture |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Economic Research Service |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
National Agricultural Statistics Service |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Marketing and Regulatory Programs |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Agric. Marketing Service |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Section 32 (permanent + transfers) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Food Safety |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Food Safety & Inspection Service |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Farm and Commodity Programs |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Farm Service Agency: Salaries and Exp.c |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
FSA Farm Loan Program: Subsidy Level |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
FSA Farm Loans: Loan Authorityd |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Mediation; source water; dairy indem.e |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Risk Management Agency Salaries & Exp. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Federal Crop Insurance Corporationf |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Commodity Credit Corporationf |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Subtotal |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mandatory |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Discretionary |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Subtotal |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Title II: Conservation Programs |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Conservation Operations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Watershed & Flood Prevention |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Watershed Rehabilitation Program |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Resource Conservation & Development |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Under Secretary, Natural Resources |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Subtotal |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Title III: Rural Development |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Salaries and Expenses (including transfers) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Rural Housing Service |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
RHS Loan Authorityd |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Rural Business-Cooperative Serviceg |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
RBCS Loan Authorityd |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Rural Utilities Service |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
RUS Loan Authorityd |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Rural Development Under Secretary |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Subtotalg |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Subtotal, RD Loan Authorityd |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Title IV: Domestic Food Programs |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Child Nutrition Programs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
WIC Program |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
SNAP, Food & Nutrition Act Programs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Commodity Assistance Programs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Nutrition Programs Administration |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Office of Under Secretary |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Subtotal |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mandatory |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Discretionary |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Subtotal |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Title V: Foreign Assistance |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Foreign Agric. Service |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Public Law (P.L.) 480 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
McGovern-Dole Food for Education |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
CCC Export Loan Salaries |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Subtotal |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Title VI: FDA & Related Agencies |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Food and Drug Administration |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Commodity Futures Trading Commissionh |
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Title VII: General Provisions |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Limit mandatory farm bill programs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Rescissions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Other appropriations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Subtotal |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
RECAPITULATION: |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
I: Agricultural Programs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Mandatory |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Discretionary |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
II: Conservation Programs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
III: Rural Development |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
IV: Domestic Food Programs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Mandatory |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Discretionary |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
V: Foreign Assistance |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
VI: FDA |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
CFTC: Agriculture appropriationsh |
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
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CFTC: Financial Services appropriationsh |
— |
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— |
— |
— |
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— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
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VII: General Provisions |
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Total in agriculture bill (no adjustment for jurisdiction over CFTC, as listed in committee reports) |
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Mandatory |
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Discretionary |
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Total |
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Adjustments to make comparison to 302(b) and across years for jurisdiction |
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Other scorekeeping adjustmentsi |
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Subtract disaster declaration |
— |
— |
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— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
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Adj. total without CFTC in any column (Senate basis)h |
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Discretionary |
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Total |
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Adj. total with CFTC in all columns (House basis)h |
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Discretionary |
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Total |
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Source: CRS, compiled from H.R. 5973, S. 2375, S. 3301, P.L. 112-55, P.L. 112-10, P.L. 111-80, and unpublished CBO tables.
Notes: Does not include supplemental appropriations. Supplemental appropriations were $549 million in FY2010 (P.L. 111-118 and P.L. 111-212 provided $400 million for nutrition, $150 million for foreign aid, $31 million for farm loans, $18 million for forestry, offset by a $50 million reduction in BCAP).
a. Includes offices for Advocacy and Outreach; Chief Financial Officer; Assistant Secretary and Office for Civil Rights; Assistant Secretary for Administration; Hazardous Materials Mgt.; Dept. Administration; Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations; Office of Communications; General Counsel; Office of Homeland Security.
b. Includes four Under Secretary offices: Research, Education and Economics; Marketing and Regulatory Programs; Food Safety; and Farm and Foreign Agriculture.
c. Includes regular FSA salaries and expenses, plus transfers for farm loan program salaries and expenses and farm loan program administrative expenses. However, amounts transferred from the Foreign Agricultural Service for export loans and P.L. 480 administration are included in the originating account.
d. Loan authority is the amount of loans that can be made or guaranteed with a loan subsidy; it is not added in the budget authority subtotals or totals.
e. Includes Dairy Indemnity Program, State Mediation Grants, and Grassroots Source Water Protection Program.
f. Commodity Credit Corporation and Federal Crop Insurance Corporation each receive "such sums as necessary." Estimates are used in the appropriations bill reports.
g. Amounts for the Rural Business Cooperative Service in this report are before the rescission from the Cushion of Credit account. This approach allows the total appropriation for RBS to remain positive, unlike in Appropriations committee tables. The rescission is included in the General Provisions section.
h. CFTC is shown in different ways because of jurisdiction differences to make totals comparable.
i. "Other scorekeeping adjustments" are not appropriated items (e.g., negative subsidies in loan program accounts) and are not shown in Appropriations committee tables, but are part of the official score (accounting) of the bill. Adjustments for disaster designation are made only if disaster amounts were included in the bill's 302(b) allocation, and allow regular appropriations to be compared across years.
After years of growth, discretionary Agriculture appropriations peaked in absolute terms in FY2010, although mandatory nutrition spending continues to rise. This section offers perspective on type of funding (mandatory or discretionary), purpose (nutrition vs. other), and relationships to inflation, GDP, and the federal budget. The proposed amounts for FY2013 in H.R. 5973 and S. 2375 are the bases for comparison throughout most of this section.
Figure 1 shows the Agriculture appropriations bill divided between mandatory and discretionary spending. Mandatory appropriations, accounting for about 85% of the total, have a 10-year average annual growth of +7.9%, while discretionary appropriations show a +0.8% average annual growth rate over 10 years to the amount in the House bill (+1.6% average annual growth rate to the amount in the Senate bill). The total (mandatory plus discretionary) reflects a +6.5% average annual increase over 10 years.
Figure 2 shows the same bill total as in Figure 1, but divided between domestic nutrition and other program spending. The share going to nutrition has risen from 46% in FY2000 to about 75% in the FY2013 proposals. Over the past 10 years, total nutrition spending has increased at an average rate of about +9.8% per year, compared to a +0.3% average annual change for the "rest of the bill" in the House bill (+0.8% for the Senate bill; including the rest of USDA but excluding the Forest Service, plus FDA and CFTC). Nutrition spending has increased even faster in the more recent five-year period.
Figure 3 shows just the discretionary appropriations levels in the Agriculture appropriations bill, divided between domestic nutrition programs and the rest of the bill. Figure 4 shows just the mandatory appropriations amounts.
Table 4 presents the data in these graphs and Table 5 shows the average annual growth rates from various years in the past to FY2013 (in both actual and inflation-adjusted terms).
|
Source: CRS. Amounts for FY2013 are proposed in the House (HR) and Senate (S). Notes: Includes only regular annual appropriations for USDA (except the Forest Service), FDA, and CFTC (regardless of jurisdiction). Fiscal year budget authority. The label "Domestic nutrition" includes WIC, commodity assistance programs, and nutrition programs administration. |
Figure 4. Mandatory Agriculture Appropriations, FY1995-FY2013 |
Source: CRS. Amounts for FY2013 are proposed in the House (HR) and Senate (S). Notes: Fiscal year budget authority. The label "Domestic nutrition" includes SNAP and the child nutrition programs; "Rest of bill" includes farm commodity programs, crop insurance and conservation programs. |
Table 4. Trends in Actual Agriculture Appropriations: FY1995-FY2013
(fiscal year budget authority in billions of dollars, except as noted)
|
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
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Discretionary total |
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Domestic nutritiona |
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Rest of billb |
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Mandatory total |
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Domestic nutrition |
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Rest of bill |
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Total bill |
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Domestic nutrition |
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Rest of bill |
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Percentages of Total |
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1. Mandatory |
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2. Discretionary |
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1. Domestic nutrition |
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2. Rest of bill |
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2013 House |
2013 Senate |
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Discretionary total |
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Domestic nutrition |
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Rest of bill |
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Mandatory total |
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Domestic nutrition |
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Rest of bill |
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Total bill |
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Domestic nutrition |
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Rest of bill |
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Percentages of Total |
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1. Mandatory |
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2. Discretionary |
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1. Domestic nutrition |
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2. Rest of bill |
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Source: CRS. Regular appropriations only; all years include Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
a. The largest domestic nutrition programs are the child nutrition programs, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps)—both of which are mandatory—and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which is discretionary.
b. "Rest of bill" includes the non-nutrition remainder of USDA (except the Forest Service), FDA, and CFTC. Within that group, mandatory programs include the farm commodity programs, crop insurance, and some conservation and foreign aid/trade programs.
Average annual change from the past to FY2013 House bill |
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Actual Change |
Inflation-Adjusted (Real) Change (2012 $) |
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Comparison to House bill H.R. 5973 |
FY2012 (1 yr.) |
FY2008 (5 yrs.) |
FY2003 (10 yrs.) |
FY1998 (15 yrs.) |
FY2012 (1 yr.) |
FY2008 (5 yrs.) |
FY2003 (10 yrs.) |
FY1998 (15 yrs.) |
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Discretionary total |
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Domestic nutritiona |
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Rest of billb |
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Mandatory total |
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Domestic nutrition |
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Rest of bill |
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Total bill |
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Domestic nutrition |
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Rest of bill |
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Average annual change from the past to FY2013 Senate bill |
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Discretionary total |
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Domestic nutritiona |
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Rest of billb |
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Mandatory total |
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Domestic nutrition |
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Rest of bill |
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Total bill |
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Domestic nutrition |
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Rest of bill |
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Source: CRS.
Notes: Includes regular annual appropriations for all of USDA (except the Forest Service), the Food and Drug Administration, and—for consistency—the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (regardless of jurisdiction). Excludes supplemental appropriations. Reflects rescissions.
a. The largest domestic nutrition programs are the child nutrition programs, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps)—both of which are mandatory—and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which is discretionary.
b. "Rest of bill" includes the non-nutrition remainder of USDA (except the Forest Service), FDA, and CFTC. Within that group, mandatory programs include the farm commodity programs, crop insurance, and some conservation and foreign aid/trade programs.
The totals can also be viewed in inflation-adjusted terms (Table 6) and against other economic variables (Table 7). If the general level of inflation is subtracted, total Agriculture appropriations show positive "real" growth—that is, growth above the rate of inflation (Figure 5). The total has increased at an average annual real rate of about +4.2% over the past 10 years. Nutrition programs have increased at an average annual real rate of +7.4%, while the "rest of the bill" shows a -1.9% average annual real decline over 10 years. Similarly, mandatory spending shows positive real growth over 10 years, while discretionary spending is flat to a small real decline.
Relative to the entire federal budget, the Agriculture bill's share declined from 4.4% of the federal budget in FY1995 to 2.7% in FY2009, before rising again to nearly 3.9% in FY2013 (Figure 6). The share for nutrition programs had declined from 2.6% in FY1995 to 1.8% in FY2008, but the recent recession has caused that share to rise to 2.9% for FY2013. The share for the rest of the bill has declined from 1.8% in FY1995 and 2.1% in FY2001 to about 1% for FY2013.
As a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), Agriculture appropriations had been fairly steady at under 0.75% of GDP, but have risen since FY2008 to about 0.87% of GDP (Figure 7). Nutrition programs have been rising as a percentage of GDP since FY2000 (about 0.66% for FY2013), while non-nutrition agricultural programs have been declining (to 0.22% for FY2013).4
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Table 6. Trends in Benchmarks and Real Agriculture Appropriations: FY1995-FY2013
(fiscal year budget authority in billions of dollars, except as noted)
FY1995-2004 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
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GDP ($ billions)a |
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U.S. budget authorityb |
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Population (million)c |
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GDP price indexa |
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Inflation-adjusted 2012 dollars (real dollars) |
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Discretionary total |
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Domestic nutrition |
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Rest of bill |
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Mandatory total |
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Domestic nutrition |
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Rest of bill |
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Total bill |
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Domestic nutrition |
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Rest of bill |
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FY2005-2013 |
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2013 House |
2013 Senate |
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GDP ($ billions) |
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U.S. budget authority |
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Population (million) |
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GDP price index |
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Inflation-adjusted 2012 dollars (real dollars) |
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Discretionary total |
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Domestic nutrition |
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Rest of bill |
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Mandatory total |
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Domestic nutrition |
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Rest of bill |
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Total bill |
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Domestic nutrition |
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Rest of bill |
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Source: CRS. Regular appropriations only; all years include Commodity Futures Trading Commission. See footnotes in Table 4 for definitions of "domestic nutrition" and "rest of bill."
a. OMB, Budget of the United States Government, "Historical Tables," Table 10.1, at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Historicals.
b. OMB, Budget of the United States Government, "Historical Tables," Table 5.1, total budget authority.
c. Census Bureau, U.S. Population Projections, at http://www.census.gov/population/www/projections/index.html, and Statistical Abstract of the United States.
Finally, on a per capita basis, inflation-adjusted total Agriculture appropriations have risen slightly over the past two decades from about $350 per capita in 1995 and 2000 (FY2012 dollars) to about $435 per capita for FY2013 (Figure 8). Nutrition programs have risen more steadily on a per capita basis from about $214 per capita in 1995 (and a low of $152 per capita in 2001) to $330 per capita for FY2013. Non-nutrition "other" agricultural programs have been more steady or declining, falling from a high of $188 per capita in 2000 to under $110 per capita for FY2013.
FY1995-2004 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
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Agriculture appropriations as a % of total federal budget |
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Total bill |
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Domestic nutrition |
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Rest of bill |
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Agriculture appropriations as a % of GDP |
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Total bill |
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Domestic nutrition |
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Rest of bill |
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Agriculture appropriations per capita (2012 dollars) |
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Total bill |
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Domestic nutrition |
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Rest of bill |
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FY2005-2013 |
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2013 House |
2013 Senate |
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Agriculture appropriations as a % of total federal budget |
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Total bill |
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Domestic nutrition |
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Rest of bill |
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Agriculture appropriations as a % of GDP |
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Total bill |
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Domestic nutrition |
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Rest of bill |
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Agriculture appropriations per capita (2012 dollars) |
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Total bill |
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Domestic nutrition |
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Rest of bill |
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Source: CRS. Regular appropriations only; all years include Commodity Futures Trading Commission. See footnotes in Table 4 for definitions of "domestic nutrition" and "rest of bill."
The FY2013 Agriculture appropriations bills reported in the 112th Congress contained rescissions and limitations on mandatory farm bill programs totaling about $1.5 billion in the House bill and $1 billion in the Senate bill (Title VII in Table 3). These amounts were less than in FY2012 ($1.65 billion) and FY2011 ($1.87 billion), but still more than prior years (e.g., $619 million in FY2010). These actions would be counted (scored) as savings and would help to meet the discretionary budget allocations. They provided relatively more (or help avoid deeper cuts) to regular discretionary accounts than might otherwise be possible. These types of reductions grew in importance in the FY2011 appropriation, which required a large discretionary cut from the year before. Half of the $3.4 billion reduction in total discretionary appropriations between FY2010 and FY2011 was achieved by a $1.7 billion increase in the use of farm bill limitations and rescissions.
In recent years, appropriators have placed limitations on mandatory spending authorized in the farm bill (Table 8). These limitations are also known as CHIMPS, "changes in mandatory program spending." Mandatory programs usually are not part of the annual appropriations process since the authorizing committees set the eligibility rules and payment formulas in multi-year authorizing legislation (such as the 2008 farm bill). Funding for mandatory programs usually is assumed to be available based on the authorization without appropriations action.
When the appropriators limit mandatory spending, they do not change the authorizing law. Rather, appropriators have put limits on mandatory programs by using appropriations language such as: "None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this or any other Act shall be used to pay the salaries and expenses of personnel to carry out section [ ... ] of Public Law [ ... ] in excess of $[ ... ]." These provisions usually have appeared in Title VII, General Provisions, of the Agriculture appropriations bill.
Passage of a new farm bill in 2008 made more mandatory funds available for programs, some of which appropriators or the Administration have chosen to reduce, either because of policy preferences or jurisdictional issues between authorizers and appropriators.
Historically, decisions over expenditures are assumed to rest with appropriations committees.5 The division over who should fund certain agriculture programs—appropriators or authorizers—has roots dating to the 1930s and the creation of the farm commodity programs. Outlays for the farm commodity programs were highly variable, difficult to budget, and based on multi-year programs that resembled entitlements. Thus, a mandatory funding system—the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC)—was created to remove the unpredictable funding issue from the appropriations process. The dynamic changed near the turn of the century when farm bills began using mandatory funds for programs that usually were discretionary. Appropriators had not funded some programs as much as authorizers had desired, and authorizing committees wrote farm bills using the mandatory funding at their discretion. Tension arose over who should fund certain activities: authorizers with mandatory funding at their disposal, or appropriators with standard appropriating authority. Some question whether the CCC, which was created to fund the hard-to-predict farm commodity programs, should be used for programs that are not highly variable and are more often discretionary. The programs affected by CHIMPS include conservation, rural development, bioenergy, and some smaller nutrition assistance programs. CHIMPS have not affected the farm commodity programs or the primary nutrition assistance programs (such as SNAP), which are generally accepted as legitimate mandatory programs.
FY2010 |
FY2011 |
FY2012 |
FY2013 |
|||||||||||||||
Program in 2008 farm bill |
Admin. Request |
House report |
Senate report |
|||||||||||||||
Conservation programs |
||||||||||||||||||
Environmental Quality Incentives Program |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Dam Rehabilitation Program |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Wetlands Reserve Program |
— |
|
|
— |
|
— |
||||||||||||
Conservation Stewardship Program |
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
||||||||||||
Farmland Protection Program |
— |
— |
|
— |
|
— |
||||||||||||
Grasslands Reserve Program |
— |
— |
|
— |
|
— |
||||||||||||
Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program |
— |
— |
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Voluntary Public Access Program |
— |
— |
|
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Agricultural Management Assistance |
— |
— |
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Subtotal conservation |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Other programs |
||||||||||||||||||
Fruit and vegetables in schools programa |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Biomass Crop Assistance Program |
— |
|
|
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels |
— |
— |
|
— |
|
— |
||||||||||||
Rural Energy for America Program |
— |
— |
|
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Crop insurance good performance discount |
— |
|
|
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Microenterpreneur Assistance Program |
— |
— |
|
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Subtotal other |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Total reduction in farm bill programs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source: CRS, compiled from H.R. 5973, S. 2375, P.L. 112-55, P.L. 112-10, P.L. 111-80 and CBO tables.
a. Delays funding from July until October of the same calendar year. This effectively allocates the farm bill's authorization by fiscal year rather than school year—with no reduction in overall support—and results in savings being scored by appropriators.
For FY2013, the House bill contained $1.052 billion of reductions from 10 mandatory programs, and the Senate a $649 million reduction from five mandatory programs. These are both less than the limitations placed in FY2012, but more than historical averages.6
Rescissions are a method of permanently cancelling the availability of funds that were provided by a previous appropriations law, and in doing so achieving or scoring budgetary savings. Often rescissions relate to the unobligated balances of funds still available for a specific purpose that were appropriated a year or more ago (e.g., buildings and facilities funding that remains available until expended for specific projects, or disaster response funds for losses due to a specifically named hurricane). These are often one-time savings from cancelling unobligated budget authority.
For FY2013, proposed rescissions totaled $484 million in the House bill and $330 million in the Senate bill (Table 9). The amount in the House bill was on par with the FY2012 amount, but the Senate bill had less than last year. Both amounts were less than the peak year for the use of rescissions in FY2011. The FY2011 appropriation made unusually large rescissions, compared with prior years, to unobligated balances in accounts such as building and facilities, and rural broadband. Rescissions in FY2011 totaled about $925 million, up from a more typical range of $100 million to $500 million. Because some of these were one-time savings from cancelling unobligated balances, the high level was difficult to repeat in FY2012 and FY2013.
FY2010 |
FY2011 |
FY2012 |
FY2013 |
|||||||||||||||
Rescissions |
Admin. Request |
House report |
Senate report |
|||||||||||||||
Export credit |
— |
|
|
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
ARS buildings and facilities |
— |
|
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Cushion of Credit (rural development)a |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Section 32 |
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
||||||||||||
SNAP employment and training |
|
|
|
— |
|
— |
||||||||||||
Agriculture buildings and facilities |
— |
|
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
NIFA buildings and facilities |
— |
|
|
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
USDA unobligated balances |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
— |
||||||||||||
FDA unobligated balances |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
— |
||||||||||||
Repowering Assistance |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
— |
||||||||||||
Broadband loan balances |
— |
|
— |
— |
|
— |
||||||||||||
Broadband grants |
— |
|
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
NRCS expired accounts |
— |
|
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
APHIS |
— |
|
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
APHIS buildings and facilities |
— |
|
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Common Computing Environment |
— |
|
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Outreach for socially disadvantaged farmers |
— |
|
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Rural community advancement |
— |
|
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Agricultural Marketing Service |
— |
|
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers |
— |
— |
|
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Forestry incentives |
— |
— |
|
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Great Plains Conservation |
— |
— |
|
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Ocean freight |
— |
— |
|
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Office of Advocacy and Outreach |
— |
— |
|
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
P.L. 480 Title I |
— |
— |
|
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Foreign currency program |
— |
— |
|
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Total |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source: CRS, compiled from H.R. 5973, S. 2375, P.L. 112-55, P.L. 112-10, P.L. 111-80.
a. Tables in House and Senate report language place this rescission in the Rural Business Cooperative Service section in recent years, causing that agency's net appropriation to be negative. This report puts the rescission here for consistency with other rescissions.
Enacted Appropriation Presented in Separate Report Due to the late enactment of the FY2013 appropriation, this report summarizes action only through the end of the 112th Congress, including the Administration's request and amounts proposed in House and Senate. Final amounts for FY2013 are presented in CRS Report R43110, Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2014 and FY2013 (Post-Sequestration) Appropriations. |
The following tables provide additional detail for selected agencies in the Agriculture appropriations bill:
Table 10. Domestic Food Assistance (USDA-FNS) Appropriations, FY2010-FY2013
(budget authority in millions of dollars)
FY2010 |
FY2011 |
FY2012 |
FY2013 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Program |
Admin. Requesta |
Change from P.L. 112-55 |
House H.R. 5973 |
Change from P.L. 112-55 |
Senate S. 2375 |
Change from P.L. 112-55 |
(House-Senate) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Child Nutrition Programs (including transfers of funds) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Account Totalb (including transfers of funds) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
National School Lunch Program |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
School Breakfast Program |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Special Milk Program |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Summer Food Service Program |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
State Administrative Expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Commodity Procurement for Child Nutrition |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Account Total |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Account Totalb |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
SNAP benefits |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Contingency Reserve Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
State Administrative Costs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Employment and Training |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
TEFAP Commodities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Puerto Rico and American Samoa |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Commodity Assistance Program |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Account Totalb |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Commodity Supplemental Food Program |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
TEFAP Administrative Costs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Nutrition Program Administration |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Account Total |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source: CRS, compiled from H.R. 5973, S. 2375, P.L. 112-55, P.L. 112-10, P.L. 111-80, and unpublished appropriations and Administration tables.
a. The Administration request reflected in this column is from the USDA-FNS budget request submitted to Congress in February 2012.
b. "Account Total" does not equal the sum of the programs listed below. Programs listed below are a selection of the funding that makes up the account total.
c. Committee and conference reports show conflicting information for FY2011's SNAP (or Food and Nutrition Act) Account Total. The FY2011 continuing resolution (P.L. 112-10) gave USDA-FNS indefinite authority for Food and Nutrition Act programs, allowing for "amounts necessary to maintain current program levels under current law." The amounts for SNAP in S.Rept. 112-73 match the funds apportioned by OMB to USDA-FNS, and this column reflects those numbers rather than the amount in the original request or the conference agreement table. However, all committee reports indicate that a contingency reserve fund of $3 billion was appropriated whereas the agency did not interpret a contingency reserve fund. For these reasons, this total does not match Table 2 or Table 3, which utilized the FY2011 numbers contained in the H.Rept. 112-284 conference agreement.
d. S.Rept. 112-73 did not display specific funding levels for these components of the SNAP account.
FY2012 |
FY2013 |
Change from FY2012 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Admin request |
House-reported |
Senate-reported |
House |
Senate |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FSA Farm Loan Program |
Budget |
Loan |
Budget |
Loan |
Budget |
Loan |
Budget |
Loan |
Budget |
Loan |
Budget |
Loan |
||||||||||||||||||
Farm ownership loans |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Direct |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Guaranteed |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Farm operating loans |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Direct |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Guaranteed (unsubsidized) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Conservation loans (guaranteed) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Emergency |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Individual Development Accounts |
|
na |
|
na |
|
na |
|
na |
|
na |
|
na |
||||||||||||||||||
Indian tribe land acquisition |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Indian highly fractured land loans |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Boll weevil eradication loans |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Subtotal |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Salaries and expenses |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
||||||||||||||||||
Administrative expenses |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
||||||||||||||||||
Total |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source: CRS, compiled from H.R. 5973, S. 2375, and P.L. 112-55.
Notes: Budget authority reflects the cost of making loans, such as interest subsidies and default. Loan authority reflects the amount of loans that FSA may make or guarantee.
Table 12. USDA Research, Education, and Extension Mission Area Appropriations, FY2010-FY2013
(budget authority in millions of dollars)
|
Change from FY2012 to FY2013 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
FY2010 |
FY2011 |
FY2012 |
FY2013 |
House |
Senate |
||||||||||||||||||||||
Agency and Program |
Admin request |
House report |
Senate report |
$ |
% |
$ |
% |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Agricultural Research Service |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Nat'l Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Research and Education |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
AFRI |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Hatch Act |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Evans-Allen |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
McIntire-Stennis |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Extension |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Smith-Lever(b)&(c) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Smith-Lever(d) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Integrated Activities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Economic Research Service |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Nat'l Agric. Statistics Service |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Total |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Table 13. Appropriations for Food Safety, FY2010-FY2013
(FTEs as indicated, and budget and appropriation figures in millions of dollars)
Agency/Year |
FTEsa |
Appropriationb |
Program Level, Including Fees |
|||||
HHS Food and Drug Administration (FDA), "Foods" Subtotal Only |
||||||||
FY2010 Actual |
|
|
|
|||||
FY2011 Actual |
|
|
|
|||||
FY2012 Enacted |
|
|
|
|||||
FY2013 Administration Budget |
|
|
|
|||||
FY2013, H.R. 5973, House |
NA |
|
|
|||||
FY2013, S. 2375, Senate |
NA |
|
|
|||||
Comparison with House bill to: |
||||||||
FY2012 Appropriation |
NA |
|
|
|||||
FY2013 Administration Budget |
NA |
|
|
|||||
Comparison with Senate bill to: |
|
|
||||||
FY2012 Appropriation |
NA |
|
|
|||||
FY2013 Administration Budget |
NA |
|
|
|||||
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) |
||||||||
FY2010 Appropriation |
|
|
1,172.5 |
|||||
FY2011 Appropriation |
|
|
|
|||||
FY2012 Enacted |
|
|
|
|||||
FY2013 Administration Budget |
|
|
|
|||||
FY2013, H.R. 5973, House |
NA |
|
NA |
|||||
FY2013, S. 2375, Senate |
NA |
|
NA |
|||||
Comparison with House bill to: |
||||||||
FY2012 Appropriation |
NA |
|
|
|||||
FY2013 Administration Budget |
NA |
|
|
|||||
Comparison with Senate bill to: |
||||||||
FY2012 Appropriation |
NA |
|
|
|||||
FY2013 Administration Budget |
NA |
|
|
Source: CRS, from data in H.R. 5973 (H.Rept. 112-542) and S. 2375 (S.Rept. 112-163); FTEs and FDA "Foods" are from USDA and FDA data: HHS, "FY2013 FDA: Justification of Estimates for Appropriations Committees," http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AboutFDA/ReportsManualsForms/Reports/BudgetReports/UCM291555.pdf; and USDA, "2013 Explanatory Notes, FSIS," http://www.obpa.usda.gov/21fsis2013notes.pdf. NA=not available.
Notes: Percentages in parentheses reflect differences relative to FY2012 or the Administration's proposal.
a. Staffing in full time equivalents: HHS, "FY2013 FDA: Justification of Estimates for Appropriations Committees," pp. 96 and 144; and USDA, "2013 Explanatory Notes, FSIS," p. 21-5.
b. Data from "FY2013 FDA: Justification of Estimates for Appropriations Committees," FY2010-FY2012 from p. 144, FY2013 calculated from tables on pp. 93-96; USDA, "2013 Explanatory Notes, FSIS," p. 21-5.
Table 14. Rural Development Appropriations, by Agency, FY2010-FY2013
(budget authority in millions of dollars)
Change from FY2012 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FY2010 |
FY2011 |
FY2012 |
FY2013 |
House |
Senate |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Program |
Admin request |
House report |
Senate report |
$ |
% |
$ |
% |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Salaries and expenses (direct) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Transfers from RHS, RBCS, RUS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Subtotal, salaries and exp. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Rural Housing Service |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Rural Business-Cooperative Servicea |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Rural Utilities Service |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Office of the Under Secretary |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Total, Rural Development |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Alternate total (including rescission a |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Less rescission of Cushion of Credit |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Net, Rural Development |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source: CRS, compiled from H.R. 5973, S. 2375, P.L. 112-55, P.L. 112-10, P.L. 111-80, and CBO tables.
a. Rural Business Cooperative Service amounts in this report are before the rescission from the Cushion of Credit account. This allows the total to remain positive. House and Senate committee report tables show the rescission in the RBS section, causing the agency total to be less than zero. This CRS report includes the Cushion of Credit rescission in the General Provisions section with other rescissions (Table 9).
Table 15. Rural Housing Service Appropriations, FY2010-FY2013
(budget authority in millions of dollars)
Change from FY2012 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FY2010 |
FY2011 |
FY2012 |
FY2013 |
House |
Senate |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Program |
Admin request |
House report |
Senate report |
$ |
% |
$ |
% |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Rural Housing Insurance Fund (RHIF) programs |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Administrative expenses (transfer) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Single family direct loans (§502) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Loan authority |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Single family guaranteed loansa |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
— |
||||||||||||||||||
Loan authority |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Other RHIF programsb |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Loan authorityb |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Subtotal, RHIF |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Loan authority |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Other housing programs |
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rental assistance (§521) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Other rental assistancec |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Multifamily housing revitalization |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Mutual & self-help housing grants |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Rural housing assistance grants |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Rural Community Facilities Program |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Community Facilities: Grants |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Community Facilities: Direct loans |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
— |
||||||||||||||||||
Loan authority |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Community Facilities: Guarantees |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Loan authority |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Rural community dev. initiative |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Economic impact initiative grants |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Tribal college grants |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Subtotal, Rural Comm. Facil. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Loan authority |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Total, Rural Housing Service |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Budget authority |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Less transfer salaries & exp. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Rural Housing Service (programs) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Loan authority |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source: CRS, compiled from H.R. 5973, S. 2375, P.L. 112-55, P.L. 112-10, P.L. 111-80, and CBO tables.
Notes: Loan authority is the amount of loans that can be made and is not added to budget authority totals.
a. The defunding of appropriations for this loan guarantee program does not reflect a reduction in loan authority. It became self-funding in 2010 after enactment of higher loan guarantee fees being charged to banks (§102 of P.L. 111-212) and therefore no longer needs an appropriation.
b. Includes Section 504 housing repair, Section 515 rental housing, Section 524 site loans, Section 538 multi-family housing guarantees, single and multi-family housing credit sales, Section 523 self-help housing land development, and farm labor housing,
c. Section 502(c)(5)(D) eligible households, Section 515 new construction, and farm labor housing new construction.
Table 16. Rural Business-Cooperative Service Appropriations, FY2010-FY2013
(budget authority in millions of dollars)
Change from FY2012 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FY2010 |
FY2011 |
FY2012 |
FY2013 |
House |
Senate |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Program |
Admin request |
House report |
Senate report |
$ |
% |
$ |
% |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Rural Business Program Account |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Guar. Bus. & Ind. (B&I) Loans |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Loan authority |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Rural bus. enterprise grants |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Rural bus. opportunity grants |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Delta regional authority grants |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Rural Development Loan Fund Program |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Admin. expenses (transfer) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Loan subsidy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Loan authority |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Rural Econ. Dev.: Loan authority |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Rural coop. development grants |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Rural Microenterprise Inv.: Grants |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
— |
||||||||||||||||||
Loan subsidy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
— |
||||||||||||||||||
Loan authority |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
— |
||||||||||||||||||
Rural Energy for America: Grants |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Loan subsidy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Loan authority |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Total, Rural Business-Cooperative Service |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Budget authority |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Less transfer salaries & exp. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Total (programs)a |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Loan authority |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Alternate total (incl. rescission)a |
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Budget authority |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Less rescission of Cushion of Credit |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Net, in House and Senate tables |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source: CRS, compiled from H.R. 5973, S. 2375, P.L. 112-55, P.L. 112-10, P.L. 111-80, and CBO tables.
Notes: Loan authority is the amount of loans that can be made and is not added to budget authority totals.
d. Amounts in this report are before the Cushion of Credit rescission. This allows the total RBS appropriation to remain positive. The rescission is included in the General Provisions section (Table 9).
Table 16. Rural Utilities Service Appropriations, FY2010-FY2013
(budget authority in millions of dollars)
Change from FY2012 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FY2010 |
FY2011 |
FY2012 |
FY2013 |
House |
Senate |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Program |
Admin request |
House report |
Senate report |
$ |
% |
$ |
% |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Loan subsidy and grants |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Direct loan authority |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
P.L. 83-566 loans |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
— |
||||||||||||||||||
Guaranteed loan authority |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Rural Electric and Telecommunication Loans |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Admin. expenses (transfer) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Telecommunication loan authority |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Guar. underwriting loan subsidy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Electricity loan authority |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Distance Learning, Telemedicine, Broadband |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Distance learning & telemedicine |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Broadband: Grants |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Broadband: Direct loan subsidy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Direct loan authority |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Subtotal, Rural Utilities Service |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Budget authority |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Less transfer salaries & exp. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Total, Rural Utilities Service |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Loan authority |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source: CRS, compiled from H.R. 5973, S. 2375, P.L. 112-55, P.L. 112-10, P.L. 111-80 and CBO tables.
Notes: Loan authority is the amount of loans that can be made and is not added to budget authority totals.
Appendix A. Background on Scope and Terms
USDA Activities and Relationships to Appropriations Bills
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) carries out widely varied responsibilities through about 30 separate internal agencies and offices staffed by about 100,000 employees.7 USDA spending is not synonymous with farm program spending, nor are agriculture appropriations completely correlated with USDA spending.
USDA divides its activities into "mission areas." Food and nutrition programs are the largest mission area—with more than three-fourths of USDA's budget in FY2012—supporting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps); the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program; and child nutrition programs.8 The second-largest USDA mission area—with about one-eighth of USDA's budget—is farm and foreign agricultural services. This broad mission area includes the farm commodity price and income support programs, crop insurance, certain mandatory conservation and trade programs, farm loans, and foreign food aid programs. Five other mission areas share one-eighth of USDA's budget, including natural resource and environment, rural development, research and education, marketing and regulatory programs, and food safety.
Comparing USDA's organization and budget data to the Agriculture appropriations bill in Congress is not always easy. USDA's "mission areas" do not always correspond to the titles or categories in the Agriculture appropriations bill.
The type of funding (mandatory vs. discretionary) also is an important difference between how the appropriations bill and USDA's mission areas are organized.
|
|
Related Agencies
In addition to the USDA agencies mentioned above, the Agriculture appropriations subcommittees have jurisdiction over appropriations for two related agencies:
The combined share of FDA and CFTC funding in the overall Agriculture and Related Agencies appropriations bill is about 2% (Title VI).
Jurisdiction over CFTC appropriations is assigned differently in the House and Senate. Before FY2008, the agriculture subcommittees in both the House and Senate had jurisdiction over CFTC funding. In FY2008, Senate jurisdiction moved to the Financial Services Appropriations Subcommittee. Placement in the enacted version now alternates each year. In even-numbered fiscal years, CFTC has resided in the Agriculture appropriation act. In odd-numbered fiscal years, CFTC has resided in the enacted Financial Services appropriations act.
These agencies are included in the Agriculture appropriations bill because of their historical connection to agricultural markets. However, the number and scope of non-agricultural issues has grown in recent decades. Some may argue that these agencies no longer belong in the Agriculture appropriations bill. But despite the growing importance of non-agricultural issues, agriculture and food issues are still an important component at each agency. At FDA, food safety responsibilities that are shared between USDA and FDA have been in the media during recent years and are the subject of legislation and hearings. At CFTC, volatility in agricultural commodity markets has been a subject of recent scrutiny at CFTC and in Congress.
Discretionary vs. Mandatory Spending
Discretionary and mandatory spending are treated differently in the budget process. Discretionary spending is controlled by annual appropriations acts and consumes most of the attention during the appropriations process.9 Eligibility for participation in mandatory programs (sometimes referred to as entitlement programs) is usually written into authorizing laws; any individual or entity that meets the eligibility requirements is entitled to the benefits authorized by the law.10
In FY2012, about 15% of the Agriculture appropriations bill was for discretionary programs (about $20 billion), and the remaining balance of 85% was classified as mandatory (about $117 billion).
Most agency operations (salaries and expenses) are financed with discretionary funds. Major discretionary programs include certain conservation programs; most rural development programs; research and education programs; agricultural credit programs; the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); the Food for Peace international food aid program; meat and poultry inspection; and food marketing and regulatory programs. The discretionary accounts also include FDA and CFTC appropriations.
The largest component of USDA's mandatory spending is for food and nutrition programs—primarily the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) and child nutrition (school lunch and related programs)—along with the farm commodity price and income support programs, the federal crop insurance program, and various agricultural conservation and trade programs. Some mandatory spending, such as the farm commodity programs, is highly variable and driven by program participation rates, economic and price conditions, and weather patterns. Formulas are set in the 2008 farm bill (P.L. 110-246). In recent years, mandatory spending has tended to rise particularly as nutrition benefits have risen because of the recession (see "Historical Trends").
Although mandatory programs generally are outside the scope of the appropriations debate, amounts for these programs are included in the annual Agriculture appropriations act. In terms of budget enforcement, though, mandatory spending decisions are governed in the authorizations process via the Congressional Budget Office baseline.11 For example, the SNAP and child nutrition programs are funded by an annual appropriation based on projected spending needs. In fact, SNAP is referred to as an "appropriated entitlement," and requires an annual appropriation.12 In contrast, the Commodity Credit Corporation operates on a line of credit with the Treasury, but receives an annual appropriation to reimburse the Treasury and to maintain its line of credit.
Budget Authority, Obligations, Outlays, and Program Levels
In addition to the difference between mandatory and discretionary spending, four other terms are important to understanding differences in discussions about federal spending: budget authority, obligations, outlays, and program levels.13
Appendix B. Agriculture Appropriations Timelines
Fiscal Year |
House-passed |
Senate-passed |
Enacted |
Appropriations vehicle |
Public Law |
CRS Report |
1999 |
6/24/1998 |
7/16/1998 |
10/21/1998 |
Omnibus |
98-201 |
|
2000 |
6/8/1999 |
8/4/1999 |
10/22/1999 |
Stand-alone |
RL30201 |
|
2001 |
7/11/2000 |
7/20/2000 |
10/28/2000 |
Stand-alone |
RL30501 |
|
2002 |
7/11/2001 |
10/25/2001 |
11/28/2001 |
Stand-alone |
RL31001 |
|
2003 |
— |
— |
2/20/2003 |
Omnibus |
RL31301 |
|
2004 |
7/14/2003 |
11/6/2003 |
1/23/2004 |
Omnibus |
RL31801 |
|
2005 |
7/13/2004 |
— |
12/8/2004 |
Omnibus |
RL32301 |
|
2006 |
6/8/2005 |
9/22/2005 |
11/10/2005 |
Stand-alone |
RL32904 |
|
2007 |
5/23/2006 |
— |
2/15/2007 |
Year-long CR |
RL33412 |
|
2008 |
8/2/2007 |
— |
12/26/2007 |
Omnibus |
RL34132 |
|
2009 |
— |
— |
3/11/2009 |
Omnibus |
R40000 |
|
2010 |
7/9/2009 |
8/4/2009 |
10/21/2009 |
Stand-alone |
R40721 |
|
2011 |
— |
— |
4/15/2011 |
Year-long CR |
R41475 |
|
2012 |
6/16/2011 |
11/1/2011 |
11/18/2011 |
Minibus |
R41964 |
|
2013 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
R42596 |
Figure B-1. Timeline of Enactment of Agriculture Appropriations, FY1999-FY2012 |
Source: CRS. Notes: An asterisk (*) denotes an omnibus or minibus appropriation. A double asterisk (**) denotes a year-long continuing resolution. |
Area of Expertise |
Name |
Phone |
|
Agricultural Marketing Service |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Animal identification |
Joel Greene |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Commodity Futures Trading Commission |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Conservation and related disaster provisions |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Crop insurance and crop disaster assistance |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Farm Service Agency and Commodity Credit Corp. |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Food and Drug Administration |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Admin. |
Joel Greene |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Horticulture |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Meat and Poultry Inspection |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Nutrition and domestic food assistance |
Randy Aussenberg |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Research and extension |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Rural Development |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Section 32 |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
Trade and foreign food aid |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
USDA budget generally |
[author name scrubbed] |
[phone number scrubbed] |
[email address scrubbed] |
1. |
For more about polling in the Senate, see CRS Report RS22952, Proxy Voting and Polling in Senate Committee. |
2. |
Congressional Quarterly, "Schedule Uncertain," June 26, 2012. |
3. |
Office of Management and Budget, "Statement of Administration Policy on H.R. 5973," June 21, 2012, at http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/legislative/sap/112/saphr5973r_20120621.pdf. |
4. |
Two other CRS reports compare various components of federal spending against GDP at a more aggregate level. See CRS Report RL33074, Mandatory Spending Since 1962, and CRS Report RL34424, Trends in Discretionary Spending. |
5. |
Summarized from Galen Fountain, Majority Clerk of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, "Funding Rural Development Programs: Past, Present, and Future," p. 4, at the 2009 USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum, February 22, 2009, at http://www.usda.gov/oce/forum/2009_Speeches/Speeches/Fountain.pdf. |
6. |
For more background, see CRS Report R41245, Reductions in Mandatory Agriculture Program Spending. |
7. |
USDA, FY2013 Budget Summary and Annual Performance Plan, February 2012, p. 114, at http://www.obpa.usda.gov/budsum/FY13budsum.pdf. |
8. |
USDA, FY2013 Budget Summary, at p. 108-109. |
9. |
The distinction between discretionary and mandatory spending was highlighted by Rep. Kingston during House floor debate on Agriculture appropriations on June 16, 2011, using a version of Figure 1 from this report; http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/HouseSession5217/start/4762/stop/4883. |
10. |
Mandatory spending in agriculture historically was reserved for programs such as the farm commodity programs and crop insurance that had uncertain outlays because of weather and market conditions. Mandatory spending creates funding stability and consistency compared to appropriations. When authorizing committees provide mandatory funding for programs that usually are discretionary, appropriators sometimes argue that this has reduced appropriators' oversight and have limited outlays for some of the relatively newer mandatory programs as discussed in "Changes in Mandatory Program Spending (CHIMPS)." |
11. |
See CRS Report 98-560, Baselines and Scorekeeping in the Federal Budget Process, and CRS Report R42484, Budget Issues Shaping a 2012 Farm Bill. |
12. |
See CRS Report RS20129, Entitlements and Appropriated Entitlements in the Federal Budget Process. |
13. |
See CRS Report 98-405, The Spending Pipeline: Stages of Federal Spending. |