Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2013 Appropriations

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.

Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2013 Appropriations

January 17, 2013 (R42596)

Contents

Tables

Summary

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.


Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2013 Appropriations

Scope of the Agriculture Appropriations Bill

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:

  • all of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) except the Forest Service, which is funded in the Interior appropriations bill,
  • the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the Department of Health and Human Services, and
  • in the House, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). In the Senate, the Financial Services bill contains CFTC appropriations.

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.

Action on FY2013 Appropriations

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.

Table 1. Congressional Action on FY2013 Agriculture Appropriations

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

H.R. 5973

H.Rept. 112-542

4/26/2012

28-1

S. 2375

S.Rept. 112-163

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

P.L. 111-80

P.L. 112-10

P.L. 112-55

Admin request

House report

Senate report

House

Senate

Agricultural Programs

30,192

29,490

24,970

28,353

28,140

28,417

+3,170

+3,447

Mandatory

22,855

22,605

18,293

21,628

21,628

21,628

+3,335

+3,335

Discretionary

7,336

6,885

6,677

6,725

6,512

6,789

-165

+112

Conservation Programs

1,009

889

844

828

828

829

-16

-15

Rural Development

2,979

2,638

2,405

2,403

2,252

2,456

-154

+51

Domestic Food Programs

82,783

89,655

105,553

109,129

106,946

107,091

+1,393

+1,538

Mandatory

75,128

82,527

98,552

101,689

99,650

99,651

+1,098

+1,099

Discretionary

7,655

7,128

7,001

7,439

7,296

7,439

+295

+438

Foreign Assistance

2,089

1,891

1,836

1,770

1,512

1,836

-324

+1

FDA

2,357

2,457

2,506

2,517

2,481

2,530

-25

+24

CFTC (in Agriculture)a

169

205

308

180

-25

+102

CFTC (in Financial Services)a

202

308

General Provisions

-238

-1,871

-1,274

-768

-1,536

-976

-263

+297

Total in agriculture bill (no adjustment for jurisdiction over CFTC, as listed in committee reports)

Mandatory

97,983

105,131

116,845

123,317

121,278

121,279

+4,433

+4,434

Discretionary

23,356

20,018

20,200

21,224

19,524

20,903

-676

+703

Total

121,339

125,149

137,046

144,541

140,802

142,182

+3,757

+5,137

Adjustments to make comparison to 302(b) and across years for jurisdiction

Other scorekeeping adjustments

-52

-87

-72

-122

-128

-128

-56

-56

Subtract disaster declaration

0

0

-367

0

0

0

Adj. total without CFTC in any column (Senate basis)a

 

 

Discretionary

23,135

19,931

19,556

20,794

19,216

20,775

-340

+1,219

Total

121,118

125,062

136,401

144,111

140,494

142,054

+4,093

+5,653

Adj. total with CFTC in all columns (House basis)a

 

 

 

 

 

Discretionary

23,304

20,133

19,761

21,102

19,396

21,083

-365

+1,322

Total

121,287

125,265

136,607

144,419

140,674

142,362

+4,068

+5,756

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.

Senate Action

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).

House Action

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

P.L. 111-80

P.L. 112-10

P.L. 112-55

Admin request

House report

Senate report

$

%

$

%

$

Title I: Agricultural Programs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Offices of Sec., Tribal Rel., Chief Econ.

19.3

17.6

16.2

17.6

14.4

21.6

-1.8

-11.3%

+5.4

+33.3%

+7.2

Healthy Food Financing Initiative

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chief Information Officer

61.6

39.9

44.0

44.0

43.2

44.0

-0.9

-2.0%

0.0

0.0%

+0.9

Office of Inspector General

88.7

88.5

85.6

89.0

86.6

89.0

+1.0

+1.2%

+3.4

+4.0%

+2.4

Buildings, facilities, and rental payments

293.1

246.5

230.4

244.1

189.2

241.3

-41.2

-17.9%

+10.9

+4.7%

+52.2

Other Departmental administration officesa

164.1

145.6

131.3

148.4

125.5

146.4

-5.9

-4.5%

+15.1

+11.5%

+21.0

Under Secretaries (four offices in Title I)b

3.5

3.5

3.3

3.5

3.2

3.5

-0.1

-2.0%

+0.2

+5.3%

+0.2

Research, Education and Economics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agricultural Research Service

1,250.5

1,133.2

1,094.6

1,102.6

1,073.5

1,101.9

-21.1

-1.9%

+7.2

+0.7%

+28.4

National Institute of Food & Agriculture

1,343.2

1,214.8

1,202.3

1,238.7

1,175.0

1,238.7

-27.3

-2.3%

+36.5

+3.0%

+63.7

Economic Research Service

82.5

81.8

77.7

77.4

75.0

77.4

-2.7

-3.5%

-0.3

-0.4%

+2.4

National Agricultural Statistics Service

161.8

156.4

158.6

179.5

175.2

179.5

+16.6

+10.5%

+20.9

+13.2%

+4.3

Marketing and Regulatory Programs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service

909.7

866.8

819.7

765.6

790.2

819.7

-29.5

-3.6%

0.0

0.0%

+29.5

Agric. Marketing Service

92.5

87.9

83.4

78.4

78.2

79.2

-5.2

-6.2%

-4.2

-5.1%

+1.0

Section 32 (permanent + transfers)

1,320.1

1,065.0

1,080.0

1,092.0

1,092.0

1,092.0

+12.0

+1.1%

+12.0

+1.1%

0.0

Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards

42.0

40.3

37.8

40.3

37.0

40.3

-0.8

-2.0%

+2.5

+6.7%

+3.3

Food Safety

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Food Safety & Inspection Service

1,018.5

1,006.5

1,004.4

995.5

995.5

1,001.4

-8.9

-0.9%

-3.0

-0.3%

+5.9

Farm and Commodity Programs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Farm Service Agency: Salaries and Exp.c

1,574.9

1,521.2

1,496.6

1,521.2

1,472.7

1,521.2

-23.9

-1.6%

+24.6

+1.6%

+48.4

FSA Farm Loan Program: Subsidy Level

140.6

147.7

108.2

100.5

96.7

98.0

-11.6

-10.7%

-10.2

-9.5%

+1.3

FSA Farm Loans: Loan Authorityd

5,083.9

4,651.3

4,787.1

4,781.7

4,787.1

4,821.7

0.0

0.0%

+34.7

+0.7%

+34.7

Mediation; source water; dairy indem.e

10.3

9.3

7.7

4.5

7.5

11.0

-0.2

-2.0%

+3.3

+42.9%

+3.4

Risk Management Agency Salaries & Exp.

80.3

78.8

74.9

74.9

73.4

74.9

-1.5

-2.0%

0.0

0.0%

+1.5

Federal Crop Insurance Corporationf

6,455.3

7,613.2

3,142.4

9,517.4

9,517.4

9,517.4

+6,375.1

+203%

+6,375.1

+203%

0.0

Commodity Credit Corporationf

15,079.2

13,925.6

14,071.0

11,018.5

11,018.5

11,018.5

-3,052.5

-21.7%

-3,052.5

-21.7%

0.0

Subtotal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mandatory

22,855.4

22,604.7

18,293.5

21,628.0

21,628.0

21,628.0

+3,334.6

+18.2%

+3,334.6

+18.2%

0.0

Discretionary

7,336.1

6,885.4

6,676.7

6,725.4

6,511.9

6,788.8

-164.9

-2.5%

+112.1

+1.7%

+277.0

Subtotal

30,191.6

29,490.1

24,970.2

28,353.4

28,139.9

28,416.9

+3,169.7

+12.7%

+3,446.7

+13.8%

+277.0

Title II: Conservation Programs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conservation Operations

887.6

870.5

828.2

827.5

812.0

828.5

-16.1

-1.9%

+0.3

+0.0%

+16.5

Watershed & Flood Prevention

30.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

 

0.0

 

0.0

Watershed Rehabilitation Program

40.2

18.0

15.0

0.0

14.7

0.0

-0.3

-2.0%

-15.0

-100.0%

-14.7

Resource Conservation & Development

50.7

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

 

0.0

 

0.0

Under Secretary, Natural Resources

0.9

0.9

0.8

0.9

0.8

0.9

0.0

-2.0%

+0.0

+5.3%

+0.1

Subtotal

1,009.4

889.4

844.0

828.4

827.6

829.4

-16.4

-1.9%

-14.6

-1.7%

+1.8

Title III: Rural Development

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salaries and Expenses (including transfers)

715.5

688.3

653.9

653.9

625.4

656.4

-28.5

-4.4%

+2.5

+0.4%

+31.0

Rural Housing Service

1,424.2

1,224.0

1,090.3

1,077.6

1,019.8

1,111.6

-70.4

-6.5%

+21.3

+2.0%

+91.7

RHS Loan Authorityd

13,904.7

25,750.7

26,546.0

26,856.7

27,137.4

27,147.4

+591.4

+2.2%

+601.4

+2.3%

+9.9

Rural Business-Cooperative Serviceg

184.8

127.8

109.3

127.8

94.0

123.1

-15.3

-14.0%

+13.8

+12.6%

+29.1

RBCS Loan Authorityd

1,215.7

952.1

869.8

914.7

725.6

887.4

-144.2

-16.6%

+17.5

+2.0%

+161.7

Rural Utilities Service

653.4

596.7

551.0

542.9

511.7

563.8

-39.3

-7.1%

+12.8

+2.3%

+52.1

RUS Loan Authorityd

9,287.2

9,163.3

8,676.9

7,884.1

8,103.5

8,953.4

-573.3

-6.6%

+276.5

+3.2%

+849.8

Rural Development Under Secretary

0.9

0.9

0.8

0.9

0.8

0.9

0.0

-2.0%

+0.0

+5.3%

+0.1

Subtotalg

2,978.8

2,637.8

2,405.2

2,403.2

2,251.7

2,455.7

-153.5

-6.4%

+50.5

+2.1%

+204.0

Subtotal, RD Loan Authorityd

24,407.5

35,866.1

36,092.7

35,655.5

35,966.6

36,988.1

-126.1

-0.3%

+895.4

+2.5%

+1,021.5

Title IV: Domestic Food Programs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Child Nutrition Programs

16,855.8

17,319.9

18,151.2

19,694.0

19,656.5

19,657.5

+1,505.3

+8.3%

+1,506.3

+8.3%

+1.0

WIC Program

7,252.0

6,734.0

6,618.5

7,041.0

6,922.0

7,041.0

+303.5

+4.6%

+422.5

+6.4%

+119.0

SNAP, Food & Nutrition Act Programs

58,278.2

65,206.7

80,401.7

81,995.3

79,993.8

79,993.8

-407.9

-0.5%

-407.9

-0.5%

0.0

Commodity Assistance Programs

248.0

246.1

242.3

254.0

237.5

254.0

-4.8

-2.0%

+11.6

+4.8%

+16.5

Nutrition Programs Administration

147.8

147.5

138.5

143.5

135.7

143.5

-2.8

-2.0%

+5.0

+3.6%

+7.8

Office of Under Secretary

0.8

0.8

0.8

0.8

0.8

0.8

0.0

-1.9%

+0.0

+5.3%

+0.1

Subtotal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mandatory

75,128.0

82,526.8

98,551.9

101,689.3

99,650.3

99,651.3

+1,098.4

+1.1%

+1,099.4

+1.1%

+1.0

Discretionary

7,654.6

7,128.3

7,001.1

7,439.3

7,296.0

7,439.3

+294.9

+4.2%

+438.2

+6.3%

+143.3

Subtotal

82,782.6

89,655.1

105,553.0

109,128.6

106,946.3

107,090.6

+1,393.3

+1.3%

+1,537.6

+1.5%

+144.3

Title V: Foreign Assistance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foreign Agric. Service

180.4

185.6

176.3

176.8

172.8

176.8

-3.5

-2.0%

+0.4

+0.3%

+4.0

Public Law (P.L.) 480

1,692.8

1,499.8

1,468.5

1,402.8

1,152.1

1,468.8

-316.4

-21.5%

+0.3

+0.0%

+316.7

McGovern-Dole Food for Education

209.5

199.1

184.0

184.0

180.3

184.0

-3.7

-2.0%

0.0

0.0%

+3.7

CCC Export Loan Salaries

6.8

6.8

6.8

6.8

6.7

6.8

-0.1

-2.0%

0.0

-0.2%

+0.1

Subtotal

2,089.5

1,891.3

1,835.7

1,770.4

1,512.0

1,836.4

-323.7

-17.6%

+0.7

+0.0%

+324.4

Title VI: FDA & Related Agencies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Food and Drug Administration

2,357.1

2,457.0

2,505.8

2,517.3

2,480.8

2,529.8

-25.0

-1.0%

+24.0

+1.0%

+49.0

Commodity Futures Trading Commissionh

168.8

205.3

308.0

180.4

-24.9

-12.1%

+102.7

+50.0%

+127.6

Title VII: General Provisions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Limit mandatory farm bill programs

-511.0

-949.0

-1,205.5

-648.0

-1,052.0

-649.0

+153.5

-12.7%

+556.5

-46.2%

+403.0

Rescissions

-107.9

-925.0

-445.1

-165.0

-484.3

-330.0

-39.2

+8.8%

+115.1

-25.9%

+154.3

Other appropriations

380.6

2.6

377.1

45.0

0.0

2.6

-377.1

-100.0%

-374.5

-99.3%

+2.6

Subtotal

-238.3

-1,871.4

-1,273.6

-768.0

-1,536.3

-976.4

-262.7

+20.6%

+297.2

-23.3%

+559.9

RECAPITULATION:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I: Agricultural Programs

30,191.6

29,490.1

24,970.2

28,353.4

28,139.9

28,416.9

+3,169.7

+12.7%

+3,446.7

+13.8%

+277.0

Mandatory

22,855.4

22,604.7

18,293.5

21,628.0

21,628.0

21,628.0

+3,334.6

+18.2%

+3,334.6

+18.2%

0.0

Discretionary

7,336.1

6,885.4

6,676.7

6,725.4

6,511.9

6,788.8

-164.9

-2.5%

+112.1

+1.7%

+277.0

II: Conservation Programs

1,009.4

889.4

844.0

828.4

827.6

829.4

-16.4

-1.9%

-14.6

-1.7%

+1.8

III: Rural Development

2,978.8

2,637.8

2,405.2

2,403.2

2,251.7

2,455.7

-153.5

-6.4%

+50.5

+2.1%

+204.0

IV: Domestic Food Programs

82,782.6

89,655.1

105,553.0

109,128.6

106,946.3

107,090.6

+1,393.3

+1.3%

+1,537.6

+1.5%

+144.3

Mandatory

75,128.0

82,526.8

98,551.9

101,689.3

99,650.3

99,651.3

+1,098.4

+1.1%

+1,099.4

+1.1%

+1.0

Discretionary

7,654.6

7,128.3

7,001.1

7,439.3

7,296.0

7,439.3

+294.9

+4.2%

+438.2

+6.3%

+143.3

V: Foreign Assistance

2,089.5

1,891.3

1,835.7

1,770.4

1,512.0

1,836.4

-323.7

-17.6%

+0.7

+0.0%

+324.4

VI: FDA

2,357.1

2,457.0

2,505.8

2,517.3

2,480.8

2,529.8

-25.0

-1.0%

+24.0

+1.0%

+49.0

CFTC: Agriculture appropriationsh

168.8

205.3

308.0

180.4

-24.9

-12.1%

+102.7

+50.0%

+127.6

CFTC: Financial Services appropriationsh

202.3

308.0

VII: General Provisions

-238.3

-1,871.4

-1,273.6

-768.0

-1,536.3

-976.4

-262.7

+20.6%

+297.2

-23.3%

+559.9

Total in agriculture bill (no adjustment for jurisdiction over CFTC, as listed in committee reports) 

Mandatory

97,983.4

105,131.5

116,845.4

123,317.3

121,278.3

121,279.3

+4,433.0

+3.8%

+4,434.0

+3.8%

+1.0

Discretionary

23,356.0

20,017.8

20,200.3

21,223.9

19,524.0

20,903.0

-676.3

-3.3%

+702.7

+3.5%

+1,379.0

Total

121,339.4

125,149.3

137,045.7

144,541.3

140,802.3

142,182.3

+3,756.7

+2.7%

+5,136.7

+3.7%

+1,380.0

Adjustments to make comparison to 302(b) and across years for jurisdiction 

Other scorekeeping adjustmentsi

-52.2

-87.0

-72.0

-122.0

-128.0

-128.0

-56.0

+77.8%

-56.0

+77.8%

0.0

Subtract disaster declaration

-367.0

Adj. total without CFTC in any column (Senate basis)h

Discretionary

23,135.0

19,930.8

19,556.0

20,793.9

19,215.6

20,775.0

-340.4

-1.7%

+1,219.0

+6.2%

+1,559.4

Total

121,118.4

125,062.3

136,401.4

144,111.3

140,493.9

142,054.3

+4,092.5

+3.0%

+5,653.0

+4.1%

+1,560.4

Adj. total with CFTC in all columns (House basis)h

Discretionary

23,303.8

20,133.1

19,761.3

21,101.9

19,396.0

21,083.0

-365.3

-1.8%

+1,321.7

+6.7%

+1,687.0

Total

121,287.2

125,264.5

136,606.7

144,419.3

140,674.3

142,362.3

+4,067.7

+3.0%

+5,755.7

+4.2%

+1,688.0

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.

Historical Trends

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).

Figure 1. Agriculture Appropriations: Mandatory vs. Discretionary

Source: CRS. Amounts for FY2013 are proposed in the House (HR) and Senate (S).

Notes: Includes regular annual appropriations only for USDA (except the Forest Service), FDA, and CFTC (regardless of where funded). Fiscal year budget authority.

Figure 2. Agriculture Appropriations: Domestic Nutrition vs. Rest of Bill

Source: CRS. Amounts for FY2013 are proposed in the House (HR) and Senate (S).

Notes: The largest domestic nutrition programs are the child nutrition programs, SNAP (food stamps), and WIC. "Other" includes the rest of USDA (except the Forest Service), FDA, and CFTC.


Figure 3. Discretionary Agriculture Appropriations, FY1995-FY2013

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

Discretionary total

13.29

13.31

13.04

13.75

13.69

13.95

14.97

16.28

17.91

16.84

Domestic nutritiona

3.93

4.22

4.22

4.31

4.31

4.42

4.46

4.89

5.00

4.90

Rest of billb

9.36

9.09

8.82

9.44

9.39

9.53

10.51

11.39

12.91

11.94

Mandatory total

54.61

49.78

40.08

35.80

41.00

61.95

59.77

56.91

56.70

69.75

Domestic nutrition

36.30

35.54

36.27

32.91

30.51

30.63

29.66

33.06

36.89

42.36

Rest of bill

18.31

14.23

3.81

2.89

10.48

31.33

30.12

23.86

19.82

27.38

Total bill

67.90

63.09

53.12

49.55

54.69

75.90

74.74

73.19

74.61

86.59

Domestic nutrition

40.23

39.76

40.49

37.22

34.82

35.04

34.12

37.95

41.89

47.26

Rest of bill

27.67

23.33

12.63

12.33

19.87

40.85

40.63

35.24

32.72

39.32

Percentages of Total

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Mandatory

80%

79%

75%

72%

75%

82%

80%

78%

76%

81%

2. Discretionary

20%

21%

25%

28%

25%

18%

20%

22%

24%

19%

1. Domestic nutrition

59%

63%

76%

75%

64%

46%

46%

52%

56%

55%

2. Rest of bill

41%

37%

24%

25%

36%

54%

54%

48%

44%

45%

 

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013 House

2013 Senate

Discretionary total

16.83

16.78

17.81

18.09

20.60

23.30

20.13

19.76

19.40

21.08

Domestic nutrition

5.55

5.53

5.52

6.37

7.23

7.65

7.13

7.00

7.30

7.44

Rest of bill

11.28

11.25

12.29

11.72

13.37

15.65

13.00

12.76

12.10

13.64

Mandatory total

68.29

83.07

79.80

72.67

87.80

97.98

105.13

116.85

121.28

121.28

Domestic nutrition

46.94

53.37

51.51

53.68

68.92

75.13

82.53

98.55

99.65

99.65

Rest of bill

21.36

29.70

28.29

18.99

18.88

22.86

22.60

18.29

21.63

21.63

Total bill

85.13

99.85

97.61

90.76

108.40

121.29

125.26

136.61

140.67

142.36

Domestic nutrition

52.49

58.89

57.03

60.06

76.16

82.78

89.66

105.55

106.95

107.09

Rest of bill

32.64

40.95

40.58

30.71

32.25

38.50

35.61

31.05

33.73

35.27

Percentages of Total

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Mandatory

80%

83%

82%

80%

81%

81%

84%

86%

86%

85%

2. Discretionary

20%

17%

18%

20%

19%

19%

16%

14%

14%

15%

1. Domestic nutrition

62%

59%

58%

66%

70%

68%

72%

77%

76%

75%

2. Rest of bill

38%

41%

42%

34%

30%

32%

28%

23%

24%

25%

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.


Table 5. Agriculture Appropriations: Percentage Changes over Time

 

Average annual change from the past to FY2013 House bill

 

Actual Change

Inflation-Adjusted (Real) Change (2012 $)

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.)

Discretionary total

-1.8%

+1.4%

+0.8%

+2.3%

-3.4%

-0.2%

-1.4%

+0.2%

Domestic nutritiona

+4.2%

+2.7%

+3.8%

+3.6%

+2.5%

+1.2%

+1.6%

+1.4%

Rest of billb

-5.2%

+0.6%

-0.6%

+1.7%

-6.7%

-0.9%

-2.8%

-0.4%

Mandatory total

+3.8%

+10.8%

+7.9%

+8.5%

+2.1%

+9.1%

+5.5%

+6.2%

Domestic nutrition

+1.1%

+13.2%

+10.4%

+7.7%

-0.5%

+11.4%

+8.0%

+5.4%

Rest of bill

+18.2%

+2.6%

+0.9%

+14.4%

+16.3%

+1.1%

-1.3%

+12.0%

Total bill

+3.0%

+9.2%

+6.5%

+7.2%

+1.3%

+7.5%

+4.2%

+5.0%

Domestic nutrition

+1.3%

+12.2%

+9.8%

+7.3%

-0.3%

+10.5%

+7.4%

+5.1%

Rest of bill

+8.6%

+1.9%

+0.3%

+6.9%

+6.8%

+0.3%

-1.9%

+4.7%

 

Average annual change from the past to FY2013 Senate bill

Discretionary total

+6.7%

+3.1%

+1.6%

+2.9%

+4.9%

+1.5%

-0.6%

+0.8%

Domestic nutritiona

+6.3%

+3.1%

+4.1%

+3.7%

+4.5%

+1.5%

+1.8%

+1.6%

Rest of billb

+6.9%

+3.1%

+0.6%

+2.5%

+5.2%

+1.5%

-1.6%

+0.4%

Mandatory total

+3.8%

+10.8%

+7.9%

+8.5%

+2.1%

+9.1%

+5.5%

+6.2%

Domestic nutrition

+1.1%

+13.2%

+10.4%

+7.7%

-0.5%

+11.4%

+8.0%

+5.4%

Rest of bill

+18.2%

+2.6%

+0.9%

+14.4%

+16.3%

+1.1%

-1.3%

+12.0%

Total bill

+4.2%

+9.4%

+6.7%

+7.3%

+2.5%

+7.7%

+4.3%

+5.1%

Domestic nutrition

+1.5%

+12.3%

+9.8%

+7.3%

-0.2%

+10.5%

+7.4%

+5.1%

Rest of bill

+13.6%

+2.8%

+0.8%

+7.3%

+11.7%

+1.2%

-1.4%

+5.0%

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

Figure 5. Agriculture Appropriations in Inflation-Adjusted 2012 Dollars

Source: CRS. Amounts for FY2013 are proposed.

Notes: Adjusted with the GDP Price Index, FY2013 President's Budget, Historical Tables, Table 10.1.

Figure 6. Agriculture Appropriations as a Percentage of Total Federal Budget

Source: CRS. Amounts for FY2013 are proposed.

Notes: Total federal budget authority, FY2013 President's Budget, Historical Tables, Table 5.1.

Figure 7. Agriculture Appropriations as a Percentage of GDP

Source: CRS. Amounts for FY2013 are proposed.

Notes: Gross domestic product (GDP) is from the President's Budget, Historical Tables, Table 10.1.

Figure 8. Agriculture Appropriations per Capita of U.S. Population

Source: CRS. Amounts for FY2013 are proposed.

Notes: Population figures from Census Bureau, U.S. Population Projections, and Statistical Abstract of the United States.

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

GDP ($ billions)a

7,341

7,718

8,212

8,663

9,208

9,821

10,225

10,544

10,980

11,676

U.S. budget authorityb

1,540

1,581

1,643

1,692

1,777

1,825

1,959

2,090

2,266

2,408

Population (million)c

266.6

269.7

272.9

276.1

279.3

282.4

285.3

288.0

290.7

293.3

GDP price indexa

81.84

83.42

84.95

86.03

87.17

88.97

91.06

92.57

94.46

96.85

Inflation-adjusted 2012 dollars (real dollars)

Discretionary total

18.81

18.48

17.78

18.51

18.19

18.15

19.04

20.36

21.96

20.14

Domestic nutrition

5.56

5.86

5.75

5.81

5.72

5.75

5.67

6.12

6.13

5.86

Rest of bill

13.25

12.62

12.03

12.70

12.47

12.40

13.37

14.25

15.82

14.28

Mandatory total

77.28

69.11

54.64

48.20

54.47

80.65

76.02

71.20

69.53

83.41

Domestic nutrition

51.37

49.35

49.45

44.30

40.54

39.87

37.72

41.36

45.23

50.66

Rest of bill

25.91

19.76

5.19

3.89

13.93

40.78

38.30

29.85

24.30

32.75

Total bill

96.09

87.59

72.42

66.71

72.66

98.80

95.06

91.57

91.48

103.54

Domestic nutrition

56.93

55.21

55.20

50.11

46.26

45.62

43.39

47.48

51.36

56.52

Rest of bill

39.16

32.38

17.22

16.60

26.40

53.18

51.67

44.09

40.12

47.02

FY2005-2013

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013 House

2013 Senate

GDP ($ billions)

12,429

13,207

13,861

14,334

13,938

14,360

14,959

15,602

16,335

16,335

U.S. budget authority

2,583

2,780

2,863

3,326

4,077

3,485

3,510

3,746

3,667

3,667

Population (million)

296.0

298.8

301.7

304.5

307.2

310.2

313.2

316.3

319.3

319.3

GDP price index

100.00

103.40

106.46

108.93

110.50

111.52

113.72

115.82

117.74

117.74

Inflation-adjusted 2012 dollars (real dollars)

Discretionary total

19.50

18.80

19.38

19.24

21.59

24.20

20.50

19.76

19.08

20.74

Domestic nutrition

6.43

6.19

6.01

6.78

7.58

7.95

7.26

7.00

7.18

7.32

Rest of bill

13.07

12.61

13.37

12.46

14.01

16.25

13.24

12.76

11.90

13.42

Mandatory total

79.10

93.05

86.82

77.27

92.03

101.76

107.07

116.85

119.30

119.30

Domestic nutrition

54.36

59.78

56.03

57.08

72.24

78.02

84.05

98.55

98.03

98.03

Rest of bill

24.74

33.27

30.78

20.19

19.79

23.74

23.02

18.29

21.28

21.28

Total bill

98.59

111.84

106.19

96.50

113.62

125.96

127.58

136.61

138.38

140.04

Domestic nutrition

60.79

65.97

62.04

63.86

79.82

85.97

91.31

105.55

105.20

105.34

Rest of bill

37.80

45.87

44.15

32.65

33.80

39.99

36.27

31.05

33.18

34.70

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.

Table 7. Trends in Agriculture Appropriations Measured Against Benchmarks

(fiscal year)

FY1995-2004

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

Agriculture appropriations as a % of total federal budget

Total bill

4.4%

4.0%

3.2%

2.9%

3.1%

4.2%

3.8%

3.5%

3.3%

3.6%

Domestic nutrition

2.6%

2.5%

2.5%

2.2%

2.0%

1.9%

1.7%

1.8%

1.8%

2.0%

Rest of bill

1.8%

1.5%

0.8%

0.7%

1.1%

2.2%

2.1%

1.7%

1.4%

1.6%

Agriculture appropriations as a % of GDP

Total bill

0.92%

0.82%

0.65%

0.57%

0.59%

0.77%

0.73%

0.69%

0.68%

0.74%

Domestic nutrition

0.55%

0.52%

0.49%

0.43%

0.38%

0.36%

0.33%

0.36%

0.38%

0.40%

Rest of bill

0.38%

0.30%

0.15%

0.14%

0.22%

0.42%

0.40%

0.33%

0.30%

0.34%

Agriculture appropriations per capita (2012 dollars)

Total bill

361

325

265

242

260

350

333

318

315

353

Domestic nutrition

214

205

202

181

166

162

152

165

177

193

Rest of bill

147

120

63

60

95

188

181

153

138

160

FY2005-2013

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013 House

2013 Senate

Agriculture appropriations as a % of total federal budget

Total bill

3.3%

3.6%

3.4%

2.7%

2.7%

3.5%

3.6%

3.6%

3.8%

3.9%

Domestic nutrition

2.0%

2.1%

2.0%

1.8%

1.9%

2.4%

2.6%

2.8%

2.9%

2.9%

Rest of bill

1.3%

1.5%

1.4%

0.9%

0.8%

1.1%

1.0%

0.8%

0.9%

1.0%

Agriculture appropriations as a % of GDP

Total bill

0.68%

0.76%

0.70%

0.63%

0.78%

0.84%

0.84%

0.88%

0.86%

0.87%

Domestic nutrition

0.42%

0.45%

0.41%

0.42%

0.55%

0.58%

0.60%

0.68%

0.65%

0.66%

Rest of bill

0.26%

0.31%

0.29%

0.21%

0.23%

0.27%

0.24%

0.20%

0.21%

0.22%

Agriculture appropriations per capita (2012 dollars)

Total bill

333

374

352

317

370

406

407

432

433

439

Domestic nutrition

205

221

206

210

260

277

292

334

329

330

Rest of bill

128

154

146

107

110

129

116

98

104

109

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."


Savings Achieved by Limits and Rescissions

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.

Changes in Mandatory Program Spending (CHIMPS)

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.

Table 8. Changes in Mandatory Program Spending (CHIMPS), FY2010-FY2013

(dollars in millions)

 

FY2010

FY2011

FY2012

FY2013

Program in 2008 farm bill

P.L. 111-80

P.L. 112-10

P.L. 112-55

Admin. Request

House report

Senate report

Conservation programs

 

 

 

 

 

 

Environmental Quality Incentives Program

-270.0

-350.0

-350.0

-347.0

-350.0

-350.0

Dam Rehabilitation Program

-165.0

-165.0

-165.0

-165.0

-165.0

-165.0

Wetlands Reserve Program

-119.0

-200.0

-200.0

Conservation Stewardship Program

-39.0

-76.5

-2.0

-75.0

Farmland Protection Program

-50.0

-50.0

Grasslands Reserve Program

-30.0

-25.0

Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program

-35.0

-12.0

-40.0

-12.0

Voluntary Public Access Program

-17.0

Agricultural Management Assistance

-5.0

-5.0

-5.0

-5.0

Subtotal conservation

-435.0

-673.0

-928.5

-531.0

-910.0

-532.0

Other programs

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fruit and vegetables in schools programa

-76.0

-117.0

-133.0

-117.0

-117.0

-117.0

Biomass Crop Assistance Program

-134.0

-28.0

Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels

-40.0

-25.0

Rural Energy for America Program

-48.0

Crop insurance good performance discount

-25.0

-25.0

Microenterpreneur Assistance Program

-3.0

Subtotal other

-76.0

-276.0

-277.0

-117.0

-142.0

-117.0

Total reduction in farm bill programs

-511.0

-949.0

-1,205.5

-648.0

-1,052.0

-649.0

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

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.

Table 9. Rescissions from Prior-Year Budget Authority

(dollars in millions)

 

FY2010

FY2011

FY2012

FY2013

Rescissions

P.L. 111-80

P.L. 112-10

P.L. 112-55

Admin. Request

House report

Senate report

Export credit

-331.0

-20.2

ARS buildings and facilities

-229.6

Cushion of Credit (rural development)a

-44.5

-207.0

-155.0

-165.0

-180.0

-180.0

Section 32

-52.5

-150.0

-180.0

-150.0

SNAP employment and training

-11.0

-15.0

-11.0

-11.0

Agriculture buildings and facilities

-45.0

NIFA buildings and facilities

-1.0

-2.5

USDA unobligated balances

-11.0

FDA unobligated balances

-47.7

Repowering Assistance

-28.5

Broadband loan balances

-39.0

-26.1

Broadband grants

-25.0

NRCS expired accounts

-13.9

APHIS

-10.9

APHIS buildings and facilities

-0.6

Common Computing Environment

-3.1

Outreach for socially disadvantaged farmers

-2.1

Rural community advancement

-1.0

Agricultural Marketing Service

-0.7

Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers

-90.0

Forestry incentives

-6.0

Great Plains Conservation

-0.5

Ocean freight

-3.2

Office of Advocacy and Outreach

-4.0

P.L. 480 Title I

-2.3

Foreign currency program

-0.3

Total

-107.9

-925.0

-445.1

-165.0

-484.3

-330.0

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.

Selected Agency-level Tables

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 shows proposed appropriations for domestic food assistance programs.
  • Table 11 shows farm loan program amounts for the Farm Service Agency.
  • Table 12 contains appropriations for agricultural research and related programs.
  • Table 13 presents food safety appropriations within the Food and Drug Administration and for the Food Safety Inspection Service.
  • Table 14 through Table 16 show various rural development appropriations, including rural housing, rural cooperative business development, and rural utilities programs.

Table 10. Domestic Food Assistance (USDA-FNS) Appropriations, FY2010-FY2013

(budget authority in millions of dollars)

 

FY2010

FY2011

FY2012

FY2013

Program

P.L. 111-80

P.L. 112-10

P.L. 112-55

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)

16,855.8

17,319.9

18,151.2

19,694.0

+1,542.8

19,656.5

+1,505.3

19,657.5

+1,506.3

-1.0

National School Lunch Program

9,967.1

9,981.1

10,169.6

11,263.3

+1,093.7

11,263.3

+1,093.7

11,263.3

+1,093.7

+0.0

School Breakfast Program

2,920.4

3,094.0

3,313.8

3,502.6

+188.8

3,502.6

+188.8

3,502.6

+188.8

+0.0

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)

2,640.9

2,686.3

2,831.5

2,916.8

+85.3

2,916.8

+85.3

2,916.8

+85.3

+0.0

Special Milk Program

12.7

12.5

13.2

13.3

+0.1

13.3

+0.1

13.3

+0.1

+0.0

Summer Food Service Program

387.3

392.7

402.0

440.9

+38.9

440.9

+38.9

440.9

+38.9

+0.0

State Administrative Expenses

193.3

206.9

279.0

289.7

+10.7

289.7

+10.7

289.7

+10.7

+0.0

Commodity Procurement for Child Nutrition

685.9

907.9

1,075.7

1,154.5

+78.8

1,154.5

+78.8

1,154.5

+78.8

+0.0

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

Account Total

7,252.0

6,734.0

6,618.5

7,041.0

+422.5

6,922.0

+303.5

7,041.0

+422.5

-119.0

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

Account Totalb

58,278.2

70,613.4c

80,401.7

81,995.3

+1,593.6

79,993.8

-407.9

79,993.8

-407.9

+0.0

SNAP benefits

49,623.9

61,001.0

70,524.6

69,884.8

-639.8

69,884.8

-639.8

d

d

d

Contingency Reserve Fund

3,000.0

3,000.0c

3,000.0

5,000.0

+2,000.0

3,000.0

+0.0

3,000.0

+0.0

+0.0

State Administrative Costs

3,043.0

3,618.0

3,742.0

3,866.9

+124.9

$3,866.9

+124.9

d

d

d

Employment and Training

380.9

387.9

397.1

406.3

+9.2

$406.3

+9.2

d

d

d

TEFAP Commodities

248.0

247.5

260.3

269.5

+9.2

$269.5

+9.2

269.5

+9.2

+0.0

Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations

112.8

97.0

102.7

100.2

-2.5

100.0

-2.7

d

d

d

Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands

12.1

12.1

13.1

12.1

-1.0

12.1

-1.0

d

d

d

Puerto Rico and American Samoa

1,753.4

1,751.6

1,842.8

1,906.9

+64.1

1,906.9

+64.1

1,906.9

+64.1

+0.0

Commodity Assistance Program

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Account Totalb

248.0

246.6

242.3

254.0

+11.7

237.5

-16.5

254.0

+11.7

-16.5

Commodity Supplemental Food Program

171.4

175.7

176.8

187.0

+10.2

173.3

-13.7

186.9

+10.1

-13.6

WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program

20.0

20.0

16.5

16.5

+0.0

16.2

-0.3

16.5

+0.0

-0.3

TEFAP Administrative Costs

49.5

49.4

48.0

49.4

+1.4

47.0

-2.4

49.4

+1.4

-2.4

Nutrition Program Administration

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Account Total

147.8

147.5

138.5

143.5

+5.0

135.7

-2.8

143.5

+5.0

-7.8

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.


Table 11. USDA Farm Loans: Budget and Loan Authority, FY2012-FY2013

(dollars in millions)

 

FY2012

FY2013

Change from FY2012

 

P.L. 112-55

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

22.8

475

20.1

475

20.1

475

20.1

475

-2.7

0

-2.7

0

Guaranteed

0.0

1,500

0.0

1,500

0.0

1,500

0.0

1,500

0.0

0

0.0

0

Farm operating loans

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Direct

59.1

1,050

58.5

1,050

58.5

1,050

58.5

1,050

-0.6

0

-0.6

0

Guaranteed (unsubsidized)

26.1

1,500

17.9

1,500

17.9

1,500

17.9

1,500

-8.3

0

-8.3

0

Conservation loans (guaranteed)

0.0

150

0.0

150

0.0

150

0.0

150

0.0

0

0.0

0

Emergency

 

 

1.3

35

0.0

0

1.3

35

0.0

0

+1.3

+35

Individual Development Accounts

0.0

na

2.5

na

0.0

na

0.0

na

0.0

na

0.0

na

Indian tribe land acquisition

0.0

2

0.0

2

0.0

2

0.0

2

0.0

0

0.0

0

Indian highly fractured land loans

0.2

10

0.2

10

0.2

10

0.2

10

0.0

0

0.0

0

Boll weevil eradication loans

0.0

100

0.0

60

0.0

100

0.0

100

0.0

0

0.0

0

Subtotal

108.2

4,787

100.5

4,782

96.7

4,787

98.0

4,822

-11.6

0

-10.2

+35

Salaries and expenses

289.7

305.0

284.5

305.0

-5.2

+15.2

Administrative expenses

7.9

7.9

7.7

7.9

-0.2

0.0

Total

405.8

4,787

413.4

4,782

388.9

4,787

410.9

4,822

-17.0

0

+5.0

+35

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

P.L. 111-80

P.L. 112-10

P.L. 112-55

Admin request

House report

Senate report

$

%

$

%

Agricultural Research Service

1,250.5

1,133.2

1,094.6

1,102.6

1,073.5

1,101.9

-21.1

-2%

+7.2

+1%

Nat'l Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)

1,343.2

1,214.8

1,202.3

1,238.7

1,175.0

1,238.7

-27.3

-2%

+36.5

+3%

Research and Education

788.2

698.7

705.6

732.7

691.5

738.6

-14.1

-2%

+33.0

+5%

AFRI

262.5

264.5

264.5

325.0

276.5

298.0

+12.0

+5%

+33.5

+13%

Hatch Act

215.0

236.3

236.3

234.8

231.6

236.3

-4.7

-2%

0.0

0%

Evans-Allen

48.5

50.9

50.9

50.9

49.9

50.9

-1.0

-2%

0.0

0%

McIntire-Stennis

29.0

32.9

32.9

32.9

32.3

32.9

-0.7

-2%

0.0

0%

Extension

494.9

479.1

475.2

462.5

462.5

475.1

-12.7

-3%

-0.1

0%

Smith-Lever(b)&(c)

297.5

293.9

294.0

292.4

286.1

294.0

-7.9

-3%

0.0

0%

Smith-Lever(d)

101.3

101.1

99.3

90.4

96.7

99.3

-2.7

-3%

0.0

0%

Integrated Activities

60.0

36.9

21.5

43.5

21.1

25.0

-0.4

-2%

+3.5

+16%

Economic Research Service

82.5

81.8

77.7

77.4

75.0

77.4

-2.7

-4%

-0.3

0%

Nat'l Agric. Statistics Service

161.8

156.4

158.6

179.5

175.2

179.5

+16.6

+10%

+20.9

+13%

Total

2,838.0

2,586.3

2,533.3

2,598.2

2,498.7

2,597.5

-34.5

-1%

+64.2

+3%

Source: CRS, compiled from H.R. 5973, S. 2375, P.L. 112-55, P.L. 112-10, P.L. 111-80.


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

3,387

783.2

783.2

FY2011 Actual

3,605

836.2

836.2

FY2012 Enacted

3,757

866.1

882.7

FY2013 Administration Budget

4,047

855.2

1,083.9

FY2013, H.R. 5973, House

NA

866.1

883.5

FY2013, S. 2375, Senate

NA

867.0

884.5

Comparison with House bill to:

 

 

 

FY2012 Appropriation

NA

0 (0%)

0.8 (0.1%)

FY2013 Administration Budget

NA

10.9 (1.3%)

-200.4 (-18.5%)

Comparison with Senate bill to:

 

 

 

FY2012 Appropriation

NA

1.0 (0.1%)

1.7 (0.2%)

FY2013 Administration Budget

NA

11.8 (1.4%)

-199.5 (-18.4%)

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)

FY2010 Appropriation

9,401

1,018.5

1,172.5

FY2011 Appropriation

9,465

1,006.5

1,185.2

FY2012 Enacted

9,540

1,004.4

1,166.6

FY2013 Administration Budget

9,040

995.5

NA

FY2013, H.R. 5973, House

NA

995.5

NA

FY2013, S. 2375, Senate

NA

1,001.4

NA

Comparison with House bill to:

FY2012 Appropriation

NA

-8.9 (-0.9%)

NA

FY2013 Administration Budget

NA

0.0 (0.0%)

NA

Comparison with Senate bill to:

FY2012 Appropriation

NA

-3.0 (-0.3%)

NA

FY2013 Administration Budget

NA

5.9 (0.6%)

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

P.L. 111-80

P.L. 112-10

P.L. 112-55

Admin request

House report

Senate report

$

%

$

%

Salaries and expenses (direct)

202.0

191.6

182.0

206.9

178.4

206.9

-3.6

-2%

+24.8

+14%

Transfers from RHS, RBCS, RUS

513.5

496.7

471.9

447.0

447.0

449.5

-24.8

-5%

-22.3

-5%

Subtotal, salaries and exp.

715.5

688.3

653.9

653.9

625.4

656.4

-28.5

-4%

+2.5

+0%

Rural Housing Service

1,424.2

1,224.0

1,090.3

1,077.6

1,019.8

1,111.6

-70.4

-6%

+21.3

+2%

Rural Business-Cooperative Servicea

184.8

127.8

109.3

127.8

94.0

123.1

-15.3

-14%

+13.8

+13%

Rural Utilities Service

653.4

596.7

551.0

542.9

511.7

563.8

-39.3

-7%

+12.8

+2%

Office of the Under Secretary

0.9

0.9

0.8

0.9

0.8

0.9

0.0

-2%

+0.0

+5%

Total, Rural Development

2,978.8

2,637.8

2,405.2

2,403.2

2,251.7

2,455.7

-153.5

-6%

+50.5

+2%

Alternate total (including rescission a

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Less rescission of Cushion of Credit

-44.5

-207.0

-155.0

-165.0

-180.0

-180.0

-25.0

+16%

-25.0

+16%

Net, Rural Development

2,934.3

2,430.8

2,250.2

2,238.2

2,071.7

2,275.7

-178.5

-8%

+25.5

+1%

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

P.L. 111-80

P.L. 112-10

P.L. 112-55

Admin request

House report

Senate report

$

%

$

%

Rural Housing Insurance Fund (RHIF) programs

Administrative expenses (transfer)

468.6

453.5

430.8

408.1

408.1

410.6

-22.7

-5%

-20.2

-5%

Single family direct loans (§502)

40.7

70.1

42.6

39.0

39.0

53.7

-3.6

-8%

+11.2

+26%

Loan authority

1,121.5

1,121.4

900.0

652.8

652.8

900.0

-247.2

-27%

0.0

0%

Single family guaranteed loansa

172.8

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Loan authority

12,000

24,000

24,000

24,000

24,000

24,000

0.0

0%

0.0

0%

Other RHIF programsb

45.1

51.6

37.6

21.3

26.2

31.3

-11.4

-30%

-6.3

-17%

Loan authorityb

281.8

171.0

240.3

203.9

227.2

247.4

-13.1

-5%

+7.1

+3%

Subtotal, RHIF

727.2

575.2

511.0

468.4

473.3

495.7

-37.7

-7%

-15.3

-3%

Loan authority

13,403

25,292

25,140

24,857

24,880

25,147

-260.3

-1%

+7.1

+0%

Other housing programs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rental assistance (§521)

968.6

948.7

900.7

904.1

884.1

904.1

-16.5

-2%

+3.5

+0%

Other rental assistancec

11.4

5.0

4.0

3.0

3.9

3.0

-0.1

-2%

-1.0

-25%

Multifamily housing revitalization

43.2

29.9

13.0

46.9

12.7

27.8

-0.3

-2%

+14.8

+114%

Mutual & self-help housing grants

41.9

36.9

30.0

10.0

15.0

30.0

-15.0

-50%

0.0

0%

Rural housing assistance grants

45.5

40.3

33.1

28.2

17.0

33.1

-16.1

-49%

0.0

0%

Rural Community Facilities Program

Community Facilities: Grants

20.4

15.0

11.4

13.0

11.1

13.0

-0.2

-2%

+1.6

+14%

Community Facilities: Direct loans

3.9

3.9

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Loan authority

295.0

290.5

1,300.0

2,000.0

2,200.0

2,000.0

+900

+69%

+700

+54%

Community Facilities: Guarantees

6.6

6.6

5.0

0.0

3.9

0.0

-1.1

-22%

-5.0

-100%

Loan authority

206.4

167.7

105.7

0.0

57.5

0.0

-48.2

-46%

-106

-100%

Rural community dev. initiative

6.3

5.0

3.6

8.0

3.5

6.1

-0.1

-2%

+2.5

+69%

Economic impact initiative grants

13.9

7.0

5.9

0.0

0.0

5.9

-5.9

-100%

0.0

0%

Tribal college grants

4.0

4.0

3.4

4.0

3.3

3.4

-0.1

-2%

0.0

0%

Subtotal, Rural Comm. Facil.

55.0

41.4

29.3

25.0

21.9

28.4

-7.4

-25%

-0.9

-3%

Loan authority

501.4

458.3

1,405.7

2,000.0

2,257.5

2,000.0

+852

+61%

+594

+42%

Total, Rural Housing Service

Budget authority

1,892.8

1,677.5

1,521.1

1,485.7

1,428.0

1,522.2

-93.1

-6%

+1.1

+0%

Less transfer salaries & exp.

-468.6

-453.5

-430.8

-408.1

-408.1

-410.6

+22.7

-5%

+20.2

-5%

Rural Housing Service (programs)

1,424.2

1,224.0

1,090.3

1,077.6

1,019.8

1,111.6

-70.4

-6%

+21.3

+2%

Loan authority

13,905

25,751

26,546

26,857

27,137

27,147

+591

+2%

+601

+2%

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

P.L. 111-80

P.L. 112-10

P.L. 112-55

Admin request

House report

Senate report

$

%

$

%

Rural Business Program Account

Guar. Bus. & Ind. (B&I) Loans

52.9

44.9

45.3

56.3

45.3

56.3

0.0

0%

+11.0

+24%

Loan authority

993.0

889.1

812.6

821.2

660.9

821.2

-151.6

-19%

+8.7

+1%

Rural bus. enterprise grants

38.7

34.9

24.3

29.8

20.0

24.3

-4.3

-18%

0.0

0%

Rural bus. opportunity grants

2.5

2.5

2.3

0.0

0.0

2.3

-2.3

-100%

0.0

0%

Delta regional authority grants

3.0

3.0

2.9

0.0

0.0

3.0

-2.9

-100%

+0.1

+3%

Rural Development Loan Fund Program

Admin. expenses (transfer)

4.9

4.9

4.7

4.4

4.4

4.4

-0.2

-5%

-0.2

-5%

Loan subsidy

8.5

7.4

6.0

6.1

5.7

6.1

-0.3

-5%

+0.1

+1%

Loan authority

33.5

19.2

17.7

18.9

17.7

18.9

0.0

0%

+1.2

+7%

Rural Econ. Dev.: Loan authority

33.1

33.1

33.1

33.1

33.1

33.1

0.0

0%

0.0

0%

Rural coop. development grants

34.9

30.2

25.1

27.7

19.6

27.7

-5.4

-22%

+2.7

+11%

Rural Microenterprise Inv.: Grants

2.5

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Loan subsidy

2.5

0.0

0.0

3.4

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Loan authority

11.8

0.0

0.0

22.4

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Rural Energy for America: Grants

19.7

2.5

1.7

0.0

0.0

0.0

-1.7

-100%

-1.7

-100%

Loan subsidy

19.7

2.5

1.7

4.6

3.3

3.4

+1.6

+96%

+1.7

+100%

Loan authority

144.2

10.8

6.5

19.1

13.9

14.2

+7.4

+114%

+7.7

+118%

Total, Rural Business-Cooperative Service

Budget authority

189.7

132.8

113.9

132.3

98.4

127.5

-15.5

-14%

+13.6

+12%

Less transfer salaries & exp.

-4.9

-4.9

-4.7

-4.4

-4.4

-4.4

+0.2

-5%

+0.2

-5%

Total (programs)a

184.8

127.8

109.3

127.8

94.0

123.1

-15.3

-14%

+13.8

+13%

Loan authority

1,215.7

952.1

869.8

914.7

725.6

887.4

-144.2

-17%

+17.5

+2%

Alternate total (incl. rescission)a

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Budget authority

189.7

132.8

113.9

132.3

98.4

127.5

-15.5

-14%

+13.6

+12%

Less rescission of Cushion of Credit

-44.5

-207.0

-155.0

-165.0

-180.0

-180.0

-25.0

+16%

-25.0

+16%

Net, in House and Senate tables

145.3

-74.2

-41.1

-32.7

-81.6

-52.5

-40.5

+99%

-11.4

+28%

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

P.L. 111-80

P.L. 112-10

P.L. 112-55

Admin request

House report

Senate report

$

%

$

%

Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program

Loan subsidy and grants

568.7

527.9

513.0

495.7

484.5

522.5

-28.5

-6%

+9.5

+2%

Direct loan authority

1,022.2

898.3

730.7

1,000.0

731.1

1,000.0

+0.4

+0%

+269.3

+37%

P.L. 83-566 loans

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

40.0

0.0

+40.0

Guaranteed loan authority

75.0

75.0

62.9

0.0

61.3

60.0

-1.6

-2%

-2.9

-5%

Rural Electric and Telecommunication Loans

Admin. expenses (transfer)

40.0

38.3

36.4

34.5

34.5

34.5

-1.9

-5%

-1.9

-5%

Telecommunication loan authority

690.0

690.0

690.0

690.0

690.0

690.0

0.0

0%

0.0

0%

Guar. underwriting loan subsidy

 

0.7

0.6

0.0

0.0

0.0

-0.6

-100%

-0.6

-100%

Electricity loan authority

7,100.0

7,100.0

7,024.3

6,100.0

6,600.0

7,100.0

-424

-6%

+76

+1%

Distance Learning, Telemedicine, Broadband

Distance learning & telemedicine

37.8

32.4

21.0

25.0

15.0

25.0

-6.0

-29%

+4.0

+19%

Broadband: Grants

18.0

13.4

10.4

13.4

10.2

10.4

-0.2

-2%

0.0

0%

Broadband: Direct loan subsidy

29.0

22.3

6.0

8.9

2.0

6.0

-4.0

-67%

0.0

0%

Direct loan authority

400.0

400.0

169.0

94.1

21.1

63.4

-148

-88%

-106

-63%

Subtotal, Rural Utilities Service

Budget authority

693.4

635.0

587.3

577.4

546.1

598.3

-41.2

-7%

+10.9

+2%

Less transfer salaries & exp.

-40.0

-38.3

-36.4

-34.5

-34.5

-34.5

+1.9

-5%

+1.9

-5%

Total, Rural Utilities Service

653.4

596.7

551.0

542.9

511.7

563.8

-39.3

-7%

+12.8

+2%

Loan authority

9,287.2

9,163.3

8,676.9

7,884.1

8,103.5

8,953.4

-573

-7%

+277

+3%

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.

  • Foreign agricultural assistance is a separate title in the appropriations bill (Title V, Figure A-1), but is joined with domestic farm support in USDA's "farm and foreign agriculture" mission area (Figure A-2).
  • Title I in the appropriations bill (Title I, Figure A-1) covers four of USDA's mission areas: agricultural research, marketing and regulatory programs, food safety, and the farm support portion of farm and foreign agriculture.
  • The Forest Service is about half of the natural resources mission area (Figure A-2) but is funded in the Interior appropriations bill. It also accounts for about one-third of USDA's personnel, with about 34,000 staff years in FY2011.

The type of funding (mandatory vs. discretionary) also is an important difference between how the appropriations bill and USDA's mission areas are organized.

  • Conservation in the appropriations bill (Title II, Figure A-1) includes only discretionary programs. The mandatory funding for conservation programs is included in Title I of the appropriation in the Commodity Credit Corporation.
  • Conversely, the non-Forest Service part of USDA's natural resources mission area includes both discretionary programs and some mandatory conservation programs.

Figure A-1. Agriculture and Related Agencies Appropriations, FY2012

Source: CRS, based on H.Rept. 112-284, p. 213.

Notes: Includes mandatory and discretionary appropriations. Excludes general provisions.

Figure A-2. USDA Budget Authority and Mission Areas, FY2012

Source: CRS, based on USDA FY2013 Budget Summary, at http://www.obpa.usda.gov/budsum/FY13budsum.pdf pp. 108-109.

Related Agencies

In addition to the USDA agencies mentioned above, the Agriculture appropriations subcommittees have jurisdiction over appropriations for two related agencies:

  • The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and
  • The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC, an independent financial markets regulatory agency)—in the House only.

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

  • 1. Budget authority = How much money Congress allows a federal agency to commit to spend. It represents a limit on funding and is generally what Congress focuses on in making most budgetary decisions. It is the legal basis to incur obligations. Most of the amounts mentioned in this report are budget authority.
  • 2. Obligations = How much money agencies commit to spend. Obligations represent activities such as employing personnel, entering into contracts, and submitting purchase orders.
  • 3. Outlays = How much money actually flows out of an agency's account. Outlays may differ from appropriations (budget authority) because, for example, payments on a contract may not flow out until a later year. For construction or delivery of services, budget authority may be committed (contracted) in one fiscal year and outlays may be spread across several fiscal years.
  • 4. Program level = Sum of the activities supported or undertaken by an agency. A program level may be much higher than its budget authority for several reasons.
  • User fees support some activities (e.g., food or border inspection).
  • The agency makes loans; for example, a large loan authority (program level) is possible with a small budget authority (loan subsidy) that accounts for defaults and interest rate assistance, assuming most loans are repaid.
  • Transfers from other agencies, or funds are carried forward from prior years.

Appendix B. Agriculture Appropriations Timelines

Table B-1. Timeline of Enactment of Agriculture Appropriations, FY1999-FY2013

Fiscal Year

House-passed

Senate-passed

Enacted

Appropriations vehicle

Public Law

CRS Report

1999

6/24/1998

7/16/1998

10/21/1998

Omnibus

P.L. 105-277

98‍-201

2000

6/8/1999

8/4/1999

10/22/1999

Stand-alone

P.L. 106-78

RL‍30201

2001

7/11/2000

7/20/2000

10/28/2000

Stand-alone

P.L. 106-387

RL‍30501

2002

7/11/2001

10/25/2001

11/28/2001

Stand-alone

P.L. 107-76

RL‍31001

2003

2/20/2003

Omnibus

P.L. 108-7

RL‍31301

2004

7/14/2003

11/6/2003

1/23/2004

Omnibus

P.L. 108-199

RL‍31801

2005

7/13/2004

12/8/2004

Omnibus

P.L. 108-447

RL‍32301

2006

6/8/2005

9/22/2005

11/10/2005

Stand-alone

P.L. 109-97

RL‍32904

2007

5/23/2006

2/15/2007

Year-long CR

P.L. 110-5

RL‍33412

2008

8/2/2007

12/26/2007

Omnibus

P.L. 110-161

RL‍34132

2009

3/11/2009

Omnibus

P.L. 111-8

R‍40000

2010

7/9/2009

8/4/2009

10/21/2009

Stand-alone

P.L. 111-80

R‍40721

2011

4/15/2011

Year-long CR

P.L. 112-10

R‍41475

2012

6/16/2011

11/1/2011

11/18/2011

Minibus

P.L. 112-55

R41964

2013

R42596

Source: CRS.

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.

Key Policy Staff

Area of Expertise

Name

Phone

E-mail

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]

Footnotes

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.