The Agriculture appropriations bill funds the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) except for the U.S. Forest Service. It also funds the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and—in even-numbered fiscal years—the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Agriculture appropriations include both mandatory and discretionary spending. Discretionary amounts, though, are the primary focus during the bill’s development. The largest discretionary spending items are the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); agricultural research; rural development; FDA; foreign food assistance and trade; farm assistance loans and salaries; food safety inspection; animal and plant health programs; and technical assistance for conservation programs.
Congress passed and the President signed a full-year FY2020 appropriation on December 20, 2019—the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 116-94, Committee Print 38-679)—that included Agriculture appropriations in Division B. The discretionary total of the FY2020 Agriculture appropriations act is $23.5 billion. This is $183 million more than the comparable amount for FY2019 (+0.8%) that includes the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The appropriation also carries about $129 billion of mandatory spending that is largely determined in authorizing laws. Thus, the overall total of the agriculture portion is $153 billion.
In addition to these amounts, the FY2020 Further Consolidated Appropriations Act includes budget authority that is designated as emergency spending and does not count against discretionary spending caps. These include $535 million to FDA for Ebola prevention and treatment, and $1.5 billion to USDA for the Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (WHIP). The latter amount was offset by a $1.5 billion rescission of unobligated WHIP funding from a prior appropriation and emergency designation.
The primary components of the $183 million overall increase in the regular appropriation from FY2019 include increases to foreign agricultural assistance (+$235 million), rural development (+$229 million), rural broadband (+$175 million, separate from the rural development increase), agricultural research salaries and grants (+$167 million), FDA (+$91 million), departmental administration (+$82 million), Farm Service Agency (+$47 million), CFTC (+$47 million), the Natural Resources Conservation Service (+$35 million), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (+$32 million) and the Agricultural Marketing Service (+$28 million), and miscellaneous appropriations (+$63 million). Most of these increases are offset by decreases such as for construction for agricultural research facilities (-$189 million), Food and Nutrition Service discretionary appropriations (-$54 million), increasing a rescission of carryover balances in WIC (-$500 million), and not renewing temporary appropriations for Food for Peace and rural water and waste disposal grants (-$291 million).
The Trump Administration had requested $19.2 billion for discretionary-funded accounts within the jurisdiction of Agriculture appropriations subcommittees. The request would have been a reduction of $4.1 billion from FY2019 (-18%).
Policy provisions are also included that affect how the appropriation is delivered. This year, these provisions include issues such as the relocation of USDA agencies, disaster programs, rural definitions, livestock regulations, nutrition programs, and dietary guidelines.
Budget sequestration continues to affect mandatory agricultural spending accounts. Sequestration refers to automatic across-the-board reductions in spending authority. In FY2020, sequestration on mandatory spending accounts is 5.9% and totals about $1.4 billion for agriculture accounts. Recent budget acts have extended sequestration through FY2029.
Discretionary Agriculture Appropriations, by Title, FY2019-FY2020
/
Source: CRS, using P.L. 116-6 (Division B), House-passed H.R. 3055 (Division B), Senate-passed H.R. 3055 (Division B), and P.L. 116-94 (Division B).
Note: FDA = Food and Drug Administration, CFTC = Commodity Futures Trading Commission. For comparability, includes CFTC in Related Agencies in all columns regardless of jurisdiction.
The Agriculture appropriations bill funds the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) except for the U.S. Forest Service. It also funds the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and—in even-numbered fiscal years—the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Agriculture appropriations include both mandatory and discretionary spending. Discretionary amounts, though, are the primary focus during the bill's development. The largest discretionary spending items are the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); agricultural research; rural development; FDA; foreign food assistance and trade; farm assistance loans and salaries; food safety inspection; animal and plant health programs; and technical assistance for conservation programs.
Congress passed and the President signed a full-year FY2020 appropriation on December 20, 2019—the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 116-94, Committee Print 38-679)—that included Agriculture appropriations in Division B. The discretionary total of the FY2020 Agriculture appropriations act is $23.5 billion. This is $183 million more than the comparable amount for FY2019 (+0.8%) that includes the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The appropriation also carries about $129 billion of mandatory spending that is largely determined in authorizing laws. Thus, the overall total of the agriculture portion is $153 billion.
In addition to these amounts, the FY2020 Further Consolidated Appropriations Act includes budget authority that is designated as emergency spending and does not count against discretionary spending caps. These include $535 million to FDA for Ebola prevention and treatment, and $1.5 billion to USDA for the Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (WHIP). The latter amount was offset by a $1.5 billion rescission of unobligated WHIP funding from a prior appropriation and emergency designation.
The primary components of the $183 million overall increase in the regular appropriation from FY2019 include increases to foreign agricultural assistance (+$235 million), rural development (+$229 million), rural broadband (+$175 million, separate from the rural development increase), agricultural research salaries and grants (+$167 million), FDA (+$91 million), departmental administration (+$82 million), Farm Service Agency (+$47 million), CFTC (+$47 million), the Natural Resources Conservation Service (+$35 million), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (+$32 million) and the Agricultural Marketing Service (+$28 million), and miscellaneous appropriations (+$63 million). Most of these increases are offset by decreases such as for construction for agricultural research facilities (-$189 million), Food and Nutrition Service discretionary appropriations (-$54 million), increasing a rescission of carryover balances in WIC (-$500 million), and not renewing temporary appropriations for Food for Peace and rural water and waste disposal grants (-$291 million).
The Trump Administration had requested $19.2 billion for discretionary-funded accounts within the jurisdiction of Agriculture appropriations subcommittees. The request would have been a reduction of $4.1 billion from FY2019 (-18%).
Policy provisions are also included that affect how the appropriation is delivered. This year, these provisions include issues such as the relocation of USDA agencies, disaster programs, rural definitions, livestock regulations, nutrition programs, and dietary guidelines.
Budget sequestration continues to affect mandatory agricultural spending accounts. Sequestration refers to automatic across-the-board reductions in spending authority. In FY2020, sequestration on mandatory spending accounts is 5.9% and totals about $1.4 billion for agriculture accounts. Recent budget acts have extended sequestration through FY2029.
Discretionary Agriculture Appropriations, by Title, FY2019-FY2020 |
Source: CRS, using P.L. 116-6 (Division B), House-passed H.R. 3055 (Division B), Senate-passed H.R. 3055 (Division B), and P.L. 116-94 (Division B). Note: FDA = Food and Drug Administration, CFTC = Commodity Futures Trading Commission. For comparability, includes CFTC in Related Agencies in all columns regardless of jurisdiction. |
On December 20, 2019, Congress passed and the President signed into law a full-year FY2020 appropriation—the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 116-94, Committee Print 38-679)—that included Agriculture appropriations in Division B (Table 1).
During the regular appropriations cycle, the House passed a five-bill minibus appropriation on June 25, 2019 (H.R. 3055), and the Senate passed a four-bill minibus on October 31, 2019 (H.R. 3055). In both cases, Agriculture was in Division B. To develop these bills, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees reported Agriculture subcommittee bills (H.R. 3164 and S. 2522, respectively) with their own more detailed reports (H.Rept. 116-107 and S.Rept. 116-110, respectively). See Figure 1 for a comparison of timelines and Appendix D for more details.
The Administration released its budget request in two parts: an overview on March 11, 2019, and more detailed documents on March 18, 2019. In the absence of an enacted appropriation at the beginning of the fiscal year, FY2020 began with two continuing resolutions (CRs).
For overall spending levels, the House set its subcommittee allocations on May 14, 2019 (H.Rept. 116-59). The Senate set its subcommittee allocation on September 12, 2019 (S.Rept. 116-104), after the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019 (P.L. 116-37) raised caps on discretionary spending.
Administration Request |
House Action |
Senate Action |
Continuing Resolutions |
Final Appropriation |
||||
Subcmte. |
Cmte. |
Floor |
Subcmte. |
Cmte. |
Floor |
|||
3/11/2019 3/18/2019 |
5/23/2019 Voice vote |
6/4/2019 Vote 29-21 |
6/25/2019 Vote |
9/17/2019 Voice vote |
9/19/2019 Vote 31-0 |
10/31/2019 Vote |
9/27//2019 P.L. 116-59, 11/21/2019 P.L. 116-69,a |
12/20/2019 P.L. 116-94, Division B Report: Cmte. Print 38-679b Vote: |
Source: CRS, compiled from Congress.gov, OMB, and agency websites.
Note: OMB = Office of Management and Budget, USDA = U.S. Department of Agriculture, FDA = Food and Drug Administration, CFTC = Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and FCA = Farm Credit Administration.
a. H.R. 3055 was introduced as a Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations bill. It became the vehicle for a House-passed minibus appropriation. The Senate amended it for its version of a minibus appropriation. Later, H.R. 3055 was used to carry the second CR, but without any of the minibus text.
b. Congressional Record, Book III, December 17, 2019, pp. H11061–H11484.
The discretionary total of the FY2020 Agriculture appropriations act is $23.5 billion. This is $183 million more than the comparable amount for FY2019 (+0.8%) that includes the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).1 The appropriation also carries about $129 billion of mandatory spending that is largely determined in authorizing laws (Table 2).
Table 2. Agriculture and Related Agencies Appropriations, by Title, FY2019-FY2020
Budget authority in millions of dollars
FY2019 |
FY2020 |
Change from FY2019 |
||||||
Title of Agriculture Appropriations Act |
Admin. request |
House-passed H.R. 3055 |
Senate-passed |
$ |
% |
|||
I. Agricultural Programs: Discretionary |
6,033.9 |
5,712.3 |
6,165.6 |
6,439.2 |
6,163.1 |
+129.2 |
+2.1% |
|
Mandatory |
1,374.0 |
1,404.0 |
1,404.0 |
1,404.0 |
1,404.0 |
+30.0 |
+2.2% |
|
Subtotal |
7,407.9 |
7,116.3 |
7,569.6 |
7,843.2 |
7,567.1 |
+159.2 |
+2.1% |
|
II. Farm Production and Conservation Programs |
2,748.8 |
2,430.6 |
2,798.0 |
2,819.9 |
2,819.0 |
+70.2 |
+2.6% |
|
Mandatory |
30,821.1 |
34,489.6 |
34,489.6 |
34,489.6 |
36,268.5 |
+5,447.4 |
+17.7% |
|
Subtotal |
33,569.9 |
36,920.2 |
37,287.6 |
37,309.5 |
39,087.5 |
+5,517.6 |
+16.4% |
|
III. Rural Development |
3,011.7a |
2,938.1 |
3,423.8a |
3,016.7 |
3,240.6a |
+228.9 |
+7.6% |
|
IV. Domestic Food Programs: Discretionary |
6,620.3 |
5,958.3 |
6,584.8 |
6,563.5 |
6,566.0 |
-54.3 |
-0.8% |
|
Mandatory |
96,560.0 |
93,013.1 |
95,049.8 |
92,708.3 |
91,436.3 |
-5,123.7 |
-5.3% |
|
Subtotal |
103,180.3 |
98,971.4 |
101,634.6 |
99,271.8 |
98,002.3 |
-5,178.0 |
-5.0% |
|
V. Foreign Assistance |
1,938.0a |
205.0 |
2,315.2 |
2,156.3 |
2,172.7 |
+234.7 |
+12.1% |
|
VI. Food and Drug Administration |
3,080.5 |
3,251.3 |
3,265.7 |
3,160.5 |
3,171.5 |
+91.0 |
+3.0% |
|
Commodity Futures Trading Commission |
[268.0]b |
250.0 |
315.0 |
[305.0]b |
315.0 |
+47.0 |
+17.5% |
|
VII. General Provisions: |
||||||||
CHIMPS and rescissionsc |
-490.0 |
-1,153.0 |
-799.8 |
-810.1 |
-1,006.1 |
-516.1 |
+105.3% |
|
Emergency appropriations |
— |
— |
— |
— |
535.0d |
+535.0 |
— |
|
Other appropriations |
493.5 |
0.0 |
628.8 |
141.5 |
440.3 |
-53.2 |
-10.8% |
|
Scorekeeping adjustmentse |
-404.0 |
-403.0 |
-398.0 |
-398.0 |
-398.0 |
+6.0 |
-1.5% |
|
Emergency designation in this bill |
— |
— |
— |
— |
-535.0d |
-535.0 |
— |
|
Discretionary: Senate basis w/o CFTC |
23,032.7 |
18,939.6 |
[23,984.0] |
23,089.6 |
[23,169.1] |
+136.4 |
+0.6% |
|
Discretionary: House basis w/ CFTC |
[23,300.7] |
19,189.6 |
24,299.0 |
[23,394.6] |
23,484.1 |
+183.4 |
+0.8% |
|
Mandatory |
128,755.1 |
128,906.7 |
130,943.4 |
128,601.9 |
129,108.8 |
+353.7 |
+0.3% |
|
Total: Senate basis w/o CFTC |
151,787.8 |
147,846.4 |
154,927.4 |
151,691.5 |
152,278.0 |
+490.1 |
+0.3% |
|
Total: House basis w/ CFTC |
152,055.8 |
148,096.4 |
155,242.4 |
151,996.5 |
152,593.0 |
+537.1 |
+0.4% |
Source: CRS, using appropriations text and reports, and unpublished CBO tables.
Notes: Amounts are nominal discretionary budget authority unless labeled otherwise. Excludes amounts in supplemental appropriations acts. Bracketed amounts are not in the Agriculture appropriations totals due to differing House-Senate jurisdiction for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
a. Excludes amounts for other appropriations that are provided separately in General Provisions.
b. This amount for CFTC is from the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) appropriation.
c. Changes in Mandatory Program Spending (CHIMPS) are revisions made to mandatory programs via appropriations. Rescissions are permanent cancellations of previous authorizations (see Appendix B).
d. Appropriations designated as emergency in FY2020 include $535 million for Ebola, and $1.5 billion for the Wildfires and Hurricane Indemnity Program, which was offset with $1.5 billion in rescissions (Table B-3).
e. "Scorekeeping adjustments" are not necessarily appropriated but are part of the official CBO accounting.
Figure 1. Timeline of Action on Agriculture Appropriations, FY2010-FY2020 |
Source: CRS. For specific dates and links to bills, see Appendix D. |
Other CRS Resources for Agricultural Appropriations In addition to the agency-level amounts presented in Table 3, the following CRS reports provide more detail and analysis about various agencies and programs within the Agriculture appropriations act:
|
The Agriculture appropriations bill—formally known as the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act—funds all of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), excluding the U.S. Forest Service.2 It also funds the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the Department of Health and Human Services and, in even-numbered fiscal years, CFTC.
Jurisdiction is with the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations and their Subcommittees on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. The bill includes mandatory and discretionary spending, but the discretionary amounts are the primary focus (Figure 2). Some programs are not in the authorizing jurisdiction of the House or Senate Agriculture Committees, such as FDA, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), or child nutrition (checkered regions in Figure 2).
The federal budget process treats discretionary and mandatory spending differently:3
In the FY2020 appropriation (P.L. 116-94), the discretionary amount is 15% ($23 billion) of the $153 billion total. Mandatory spending carried in the act comprised $129 billion, about 85% of the total, of which about $106 billion is attributable to programs in the 2018 farm bill.
Within the discretionary total, the largest spending items are WIC; agricultural research; rural development; FDA; foreign food aid and trade; farm assistance loans and salaries; food safety inspection; animal and plant health programs; and technical assistance for conservation program.
The main mandatory spending items are the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other food and nutrition act programs, child nutrition (school lunch and related programs), crop insurance, and farm commodity and conservation programs that are funded through USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). SNAP is referred to as an "appropriated entitlement" and requires an annual appropriation.9 Amounts for the nutrition program are based on projected spending needs. In contrast, the CCC appropriations reimburse spending from a line of credit.10
Key Budget Terms Budget authority is the main purpose of an appropriations act or a law authorizing mandatory spending. It provides the legal basis from which to obligate funds. It expires at the end of a period, usually after one year unless specified otherwise (e.g., two years or indefinite). Most funding amounts in this report are budget authority. Obligations are contractual agreements between a government agency and its clients or employees. These occur when an agency agrees to spend money from its budget authority. The Antideficiency Act prohibits agencies from obligating more budget authority than is provided in law, such as during a government shutdown. Outlays are the payments (cash disbursements) that satisfy a valid obligation. Timing of outlays may differ from budget authority or obligations because payments from an agency may not occur until services are fulfilled, goods are delivered, or construction is completed, even though an obligation occurred. Program level represents the sum of the activities undertaken by an agency. A program level may be higher than a budget authority if the program (1) receives user fees, (2) includes loans that are leveraged by an expectation of repayment (loan authority may exceed budget authority), or (3) receives transfers from other agencies. Rescissions are actions that reduce budget authority after enactment. They generally score budgetary savings. CHIMPS (Changes in Mandatory Program Spending) are adjustments via an appropriations act that can change available funding for mandatory programs. CHIMPS usually change spending for one year and may score either as an increase or decrease to outlays. They do not change the underlying authority of the program in law. For more background, see CRS Report 98-721, Introduction to the Federal Budget Process. |
Discretionary Agriculture appropriations were at an all-time high in FY2010, declined through FY2013, and have gradually increased since then. Changes within titles have generally been proportionate to changes in the overall bill, though some areas have sustained relative increases, such as FDA and rural development.
The stacked bars in Figure 3 represent the discretionary authorization for each appropriations title. The total of the positive stacked bars is the budget authority in Titles I-VI. In FY2018, USDA reorganization affected the placement of some programs between Titles I and II of the bill (most noticeably, the Farm Service Agency). In most years, the cumulative appropriation for the agencies is higher than the official discretionary total in the spending allocation (the blue line) because of the budgetary offset from negative amounts in Title VII (general provisions) and other negative scorekeeping adjustments. These negative offsets are mostly due to rescissions of prior-year unobligated funds and, before FY2018, limits placed on mandatory programs.
Historical trends may be tempered by inflation adjustments, as shown in the dotted line. The inflation-adjusted totals from FY2011-FY2017 had been fairly steady until increases in the FY2018-FY2020 appropriations.
Figure 3. Discretionary Agriculture Appropriations, by Title, FY2010-FY2020 |
Source: CRS. Note: For FY2020, Adm. is the Trump Administration's request; Hse. and Sen. are chamber-passed versions of H.R. 3055, Division B, and Final is P.L. 116-94, Division B. For comparability, includes CFTC in Related Agencies in all columns regardless of jurisdiction. The inflation-adjusted line was calculated using the gross domestic product price deflator. Amounts printed diagonally indicate the solid line, which is the subcommittee allocation. |
The Trump Administration released a general overview of its FY2020 budget request on March 11, 2019,11 and a detailed budget proposal to Congress on March 18, 2019.12 USDA released its more detailed budget summary and justification,13 as did the FDA,14 and the independent agencies of the CFTC15 and the Farm Credit Administration.16 The Administration also highlighted separately some of its proposed reductions and eliminations.17
For accounts in the jurisdiction of the Agriculture appropriations bill, the Administration's budget requested $19.2 billion, a $4.1 billion reduction from FY2019 (-18%; Table 2, Figure 3). The Administration released its budget request for FY2020 after Congress had enacted the omnibus FY2019 appropriation in February 2019 (P.L. 116-6). Amounts in the FY2019 column of the Administration's budget documents are based on FY2018 levels, not enacted FY2019 amounts.
Budget enforcement has procedural and statutory elements. The procedural elements relate to a budget resolution and are enforced with points of order. The statutory elements impose discretionary spending limits and are enforced with budget caps and sequestration.18
Typically, each chamber's Appropriations Committee receives a top-line limit on discretionary budget authority, referred to as a "302(a)" allocation, from the Budget Committee via an annual budget resolution. The Appropriations Committees then in turn subdivide the allocation among their subcommittees, referred to as the "302(b)" allocations.19
For FY2020, the House did not report or pass a budget resolution. The Senate Budget Committee reported S.Con.Res. 12, though it received no further action.
The Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA, P.L. 112-25) set discretionary budget caps through FY2021 as a way of reducing federal spending.20 Sequestration is an across-the-board backstop to achieve budget reductions if spending exceeds the budget caps (2 U.S.C. §901(c)).21
Bipartisan Budget Acts (BBAs) have avoided sequestration on discretionary spending—with the exception of FY2013—by raising those caps four times in two-year increments in 2013, 2015, 2018, and 2019 (Figure 4).22 Most recently, the BBA of 2019 (P.L. 116-37) raised the cap on nondefense discretionary spending by $78 billion for FY2020 (to $621 billion) and by $72 billion for FY2021 (to $627 billion). The amount for FY2020 is 4.1% greater than the nondefense cap in FY2019. The BBA also provides language to execute (or "deem") those higher caps for the appropriations process without a budget resolution.23
Figure 4. BCA Discretionary Limits, FY2014-FY2021 Budget authority in billions of nominal dollars |
Source: CRS Insight IN11148, The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019: Changes to the BCA and Debt Limit. |
In the absence of a budget resolution and before the BBA that occurred in August, the House Appropriations Committee on May 14, 2019, set an overall discretionary target and provided subcommittee allocations (H.Rept. 116-59). The allocation for Agriculture appropriations was $24.3 billion, $1 billion greater (+4.3%) than the comparable amount for FY2019 (Table 2).
The Senate waited for the overall budget agreement in the BBA of 2019 before setting subcommittee allocations or proceeding to mark up appropriations bills. On September 12, 2019, the Senate Appropriations Committee set its subcommittee allocations (S.Rept. 116-104). The subcommittee allocation was $23.1 billion, $0.1 billion greater (+0.3%) than FY2019.
Without Congress having agreed on a joint budget resolution, different subcommittee allocations between the chambers further necessitated reconciliation in the final appropriation.
Despite the BBA agreements that raise discretionary spending caps and avoid sequestration on discretionary accounts, sequestration still impacts mandatory spending through FY2029. Sequestration on mandatory accounts began in FY2013, continues to the present, and has been extended five times beyond the original FY2021 sunset of the BCA. See Appendix C for effects.
The House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee marked up its FY2020 bill on May 23, 2019, by voice vote.24 On June 4, 2019, the full Appropriations Committee passed and reported an amended bill (H.R. 3164, H.Rept. 116-107) by a vote of 29-21. The committee adopted four amendments by voice vote.25
On June 25, 2019, the House passed a five-bill minibus appropriation (H.R. 3055) with the Agriculture bill as Division B (Table 1, Figure 1).26 Under a structured rule,27 the Rules Committee allowed 35 amendments for floor debate (H.Res. 445, H.Rept. 116-119). The House considered 33 of those amendments, of which 31 were adopted and two were rejected. Of the 31 amendments that were adopted, 28 were adopted en bloc by voice vote, two were adopted by recorded votes, and another was adopted separately by voice vote. Of the 31 amendments that were adopted, 14 revised funding amounts with offsets,28 three added policy statements, and 14 made no substantive changes but were for the purposes of discussion.
The $24.3 billion discretionary total in the House-passed FY2020 Agriculture appropriation would have been $1 billion more than (+4%) the comparable amount enacted for FY2019 that includes the CFTC (Table 2, Figure 3). Generally speaking, the House-passed bill did not include most of the reductions proposed by the Administration.
Table 3 provides details of the House-passed bill at the agency level. The primary changes from FY2019 that comprised the $1 billion increase, ranked by increases and decreases, include the following:
In addition to discretionary spending, the House-passed bill also carried mandatory spending that totaled $131 billion. This was about $2 billion more than in FY2019 generally because of automatic changes from economic conditions and expectations about enrollment in entitlement programs. Reimbursement for the CCC was projected to increase by $10 billion, mostly due to the cost of the first year of the Trump Administration's trade aid assistance package.29 Estimates for child nutrition programs would have increased by $0.9 billion. Crop insurance spending would have decreased by $6.4 billion, and SNAP spending decreased by about $2.4 billion.
The Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee marked up its FY2020 bill on September 17, 2019. On September 19, 2019, the full Appropriations Committee passed and reported an amended bill (S. 2522, S.Rept. 116-110) by a vote of 31-0. The committee adopted a manager's amendment with three additions to bill text and 19 additions to report language.30
On October 31, 2019, the Senate passed a four-bill minibus appropriation (H.R. 3055, after adopting S.Amdt. 948, which was composed of four Senate-reported bills and amended by floor amendments).31 The Agriculture bill is Division B (Table 1, Figure 1). The Senate adopted 16 amendments to Division B, of which 14 were adopted en bloc by unanimous consent and two were adopted by recorded votes. Of these 16 amendments, eight revised funding amounts with offsets,32 three revised funding amounts within an existing appropriation, three changed the terms of an appropriation, and two required reports or studies.
The $23.1 billion discretionary total in the Senate-passed FY2020 Agriculture appropriation would have been $57 million more than (+0.2%) the amount enacted for FY2019 (Table 2, Figure 3). The Senate bill was $894 million less than (-3.7%) the House-passed bill on a comparable basis without CFTC. Generally speaking, the Senate-passed bill did not include most of the reductions proposed by the Administration. Table 3 provides details of the Senate-passed bill at the agency level.
Compared to the House-passed bill and ranked by increases and decreases, the primary changes in the Senate-passed bill that comprised the -$894 million difference from the House bill included the following:
In addition to discretionary spending, the Senate-passed bill also carried mandatory spending that totaled $129 billion. This was $153 million less than in FY2019 and $2.3 billion less than in the House-passed bill. Compared to the House-passed bill, amounts for CCC and crop insurance were the same. Mandatory amounts for the child nutrition programs were about $400 million less than the House bill, and the amount for SNAP was about $1.9 billion less than in the House bill.
In the absence of a final Agriculture appropriation at the beginning of FY2020 on October 1, 2019, Congress passed a CR to continue operations and prevent a government shutdown (P.L. 116-59, Division A).33 The first CR lasted nearly eight weeks until November 21, 2019. On November 21, a second CR (P.L. 116-69) was enacted to last until December 20, 2019.34 On December 20, Congress passed and the President signed a full-year FY2020 appropriation.
In general, a CR continues the funding rates and conditions that were in the previous year's appropriation.35 The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) may prorate funding to the agencies on an annualized basis for the duration of the CR through a process known as apportionment.36 For the first 52 days (about 14% of FY2020) through November 21, 2019, and the next 29 days (about 8% of FY2020) through December 20, 2019, the CRs
CRs may adjust prior-year amounts through anomalies or make specific administrative changes. Five anomalies applied specifically to the Agriculture appropriation during the first CR:
The second CR continued the terms of the first CR until December 20, 2019. It added one new anomaly for Agriculture appropriations:
On December 20, 2019, Congress passed and the President signed a full-year FY2020 appropriation—the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 116-94, Committee Print 38-679)43—that included Agriculture appropriations in Division B. This was the second of two consolidated appropriations acts that were passed in tandem: P.L. 116-93, which covered four appropriations subcommittee bills, and P.L. 116-94, which covered eight appropriations subcommittee bills.
The official discretionary total of the FY2020 Agriculture appropriation is $23.5 billion. This is $183 million more than (+0.8%) the comparable amount for FY2019 that includes CFTC. The appropriation also carries about $129 billion of mandatory spending that is largely determined in authorizing laws. Thus the overall total of the agriculture portion is $153 billion.
In addition to these amounts, the appropriation includes budget authority that is designated as emergency spending and does not count against discretionary spending caps. These include $535 million to FDA for Ebola prevention and treatment, and $1.5 billion to USDA for the Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (WHIP). The latter amount was offset by a $1.5 billion rescission of unobligated WHIP funding from a prior appropriation and emergency designation.
Table 3 provides details of the enacted FY2020 Agriculture appropriation at the agency level, and compared with the House- and Senate-passed bills, the Administration's request, and three prior years. The primary changes from FY2019 that comprised the overall $183 million increase, ranked by increases and decreases, include the following:
In addition to discretionary spending, the House-passed bill also carried mandatory spending—largely determined in separate authorizing laws—that totals $129 billion. This is about $354 million more than (+0.3%) FY2019, generally due to automatic changes from economic conditions and expectations about enrollment in entitlement programs. Reimbursement to the Treasury for the CCC increased by $10.9 billion (+71%), mostly due to the cost of the Trump Administration's trade aid assistance that was announced in 2018.45 Child nutrition programs increase by $0.5 billion (+2%). Crop insurance spending decreases by $5.5 billion (-35%), and SNAP spending decreases by about $5.6 billion (-8%).
Table 3. Agriculture and Related Agencies Appropriations, by Agency, FY2017-FY2020
Budget authority in millions of dollars
FY2017 |
FY2018 |
FY2019 |
FY2020 |
Change from FY2019 |
|||||||
Agency or major program |
Admin. request |
House H.R. 3055 |
Senate |
$ |
% |
||||||
Title I. Agricultural Programs |
|||||||||||
Departmental Administration (Table A-1) |
403.9 |
396.0 |
390.4 |
695.1 |
595.3 |
691.9 |
472.8 |
+82.4 |
+21.1% |
||
Research, Education and Economics |
|||||||||||
Agricultural Research Service |
1,269.8 |
1,343.4 |
1,684.5 |
1,253.5 |
1,397.5 |
1,729.8 |
1,607.1 |
-77.4 |
-4.6% |
||
National Institute of Food and Agriculture |
1,362.9 |
1,407.8 |
1,471.3 |
1,391.7 |
1,617.1 |
1,484.7 |
1,527.4 |
+56.1 |
+3.8% |
||
National Agricultural Statistics Service |
171.2 |
191.7 |
174.5 |
163.0 |
180.8 |
175.3 |
180.3 |
+5.8 |
+3.3% |
||
Economic Research Service |
86.8 |
86.8 |
86.8 |
60.5 |
87.8 |
86.8a |
84.8 |
-2.0 |
-2.3% |
||
Under Secretary |
0.9 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||
Marketing and Regulatory Programs |
|||||||||||
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service |
949.4 |
985.1 |
1,014.3 |
984.6 |
1,037.2 |
1,031.1 |
1,045.9 |
+31.6 |
+3.1% |
||
Agricultural Marketing Serviceb |
86.2 |
152.8 |
160.3 |
116.3 |
193.1 |
182.8 |
188.2 |
+27.8 |
+17.4% |
||
Section 32 (M) |
1,322.0 |
1,344.0 |
1,374.0 |
1,404.0 |
1,404.0 |
1,404.0 |
1,404.0 |
+30.0 |
+2.2% |
||
Grain Inspection, Packers, Stockyards Admin.b |
43.5 |
moved into Agricultural Marketing Serviceb |
|||||||||
Under Secretary |
0.9 |
0.9 |
0.9 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.9 |
0.8 |
-0.1 |
-11.2% |
||
Food Safety |
|||||||||||
Food Safety and Inspection Service |
1,032.1 |
1,056.8 |
1,049.3 |
1,045.3 |
1,054.3 |
1,054.3 |
1,054.3 |
+5.0 |
+0.5% |
||
Under Secretary |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||
Farm and Commodity Programsb |
|||||||||||
Farm Service Agencyc |
1,624.0 |
moved to Title II: Farm Production and Conservationb |
|||||||||
FSA Farm Loans: Loan Authorityd |
8,002.6 |
moved to Title II: Farm Production and Conservationb |
|||||||||
Risk Management Agency |
74.8 |
moved to Title II: Farm Production and Conservationb |
|||||||||
Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (M) |
8,667.0 |
moved to Title II: Farm Production and Conservationb |
|||||||||
Commodity Credit Corporation (M) |
21,290.7 |
moved to Title II: Farm Production and Conservationb |
|||||||||
Under Secretary |
0.9 |
moved to Title II: Farm Production and Conservationb |
|||||||||
Subtotal, Title I |
|||||||||||
Discretionary |
7,107.7 |
5,622.8 |
6,033.9 |
5,712.3 |
6,165.6 |
6,439.2 |
6,163.1 |
+129.2 |
+2.1% |
||
Mandatory (M) |
31,280.2 |
1,344.0 |
1,374.0 |
1,404.0 |
1,404.0 |
1,404.0 |
1,404.0 |
+30.0 |
+2.2% |
||
Subtotal |
38,387.9 |
6,966.8 |
7,407.9 |
7,116.3 |
7,569.6 |
7,843.2 |
7,567.1 |
+159.2 |
+2.1% |
||
Title II. Farm Production and Conservationb |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Business Center |
— |
1.0 |
216.4 |
206.5 |
206.5 |
206.5 |
203.9 |
-12.5 |
-5.8% |
||
Farm Service Agencyc |
—b |
1,625.2 |
1,494.2 |
1,412.7 |
1,536.1 |
1,544.4 |
1,541.7 |
+47.5 |
+3.2% |
||
FSA Farm Loans: Loan Authorityd |
—b |
8,005.6 |
7,987.7 |
7,674.3 |
7,997.8 |
8,037.8 |
8,431.0 |
+443.3 |
+5.6% |
||
Risk Management Agency |
—b |
74.8 |
58.4 |
56.0 |
58.4 |
58.4 |
58.4 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||
Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (M) |
—b |
8,913.0 |
15,410.6 |
8,936.0 |
8,936.0 |
8,936.0 |
9,959.0 |
-5,451.6 |
-35.4% |
||
Commodity Credit Corporation (M) |
—b |
14,284.8 |
15,410.0 |
25,553.1 |
25,553.1 |
25,553.1 |
26,309.0 |
+10,899.0 |
+70.7% |
||
Conservation Operations |
864.5 |
874.1 |
819.5 |
755.0 |
829.6 |
835.2 |
829.6 |
+10.1 |
+1.2% |
||
Watershed and Flood Prevention |
150.0 |
150.0 |
150.0 |
— |
155.0 |
175.0 |
175.0 |
+25.0 |
+16.7% |
||
Watershed Rehabilitation Program |
12.0 |
10.0 |
10.0 |
— |
12.0 |
— |
10.0 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||
Under Secretary |
0.9 |
0.9 |
0.9 |
0.9 |
0.9 |
0.9 |
0.9 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||
Subtotal, Title II |
|||||||||||
Discretionary |
1,027.4 |
2,735.6 |
2,748.8 |
2,430.6 |
2,798.0 |
2,819.9 |
2,819.0 |
+70.2 |
+2.6% |
||
Mandatory (M) |
—b |
23,198.3 |
30,821.1 |
34,489.6 |
34,489.6 |
34,489.6 |
36,268.5 |
+5,447.4 |
+17.7% |
||
Subtotal |
—b |
25,933.9 |
33,569.9 |
36,920.2 |
37,287.6 |
37,309.5 |
39,087.5 |
+5,517.6 |
+16.4% |
||
Title III. Rural Development |
|
|
|
||||||||
Salaries and Expenses (including transfers)e |
675.8 |
680.8 |
686.8 |
622.2 |
705.8 |
692.0 |
697.8 |
+11.0 |
+1.6% |
||
Rural Housing Service |
1,654.9 |
1,582.4 |
1,606.0 |
1,467.0 |
1,749.7 |
1,678.8 |
1,686.7 |
+80.7 |
+5.0% |
||
RHS Loan Authorityd |
28,083.4 |
28,390.1 |
28,293.8 |
27,260.0 |
28,423.0 |
28,645.5 |
28,646.0 |
+352.2 |
+1.2% |
||
Rural Business-Cooperative Service |
97.7f |
109.5 |
98.6 |
27.5 |
109.3 |
87.0 |
105.0 |
+6.4 |
+6.5% |
||
RBCS Loan Authorityd |
988.4 |
991.2 |
1,026.4 |
1,000.0 |
1,288.9 |
1,038.9 |
1,088.9 |
+62.5 |
+6.1% |
||
Rural Utilities Service |
639.9 |
628.1a |
620.2a |
821.3 |
858.1a |
558.1 |
750.3a |
+130.0 |
+21.0% |
||
RUS Loan Authorityd |
8,217.0 |
8,219.9 |
8,419.9 |
7,390.0 |
8,419.9 |
8,419.9 |
8,401.2 |
-18.7 |
-0.2% |
||
Under Secretaryg |
0.9 |
temporarily moved to Dept. Admin.g |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||||
Subtotal, Title III |
3,069.2 |
3,000.9a |
3,011.7a |
3,016.7 |
3,423.8a |
3,016.7 |
3,240.6a |
+228.9 |
+7.6% |
||
Subtotal, RD Loan Authorityd |
37,288.9 |
37,601.2 |
37,740.0 |
38,104.2 |
38,131.7 |
38,104.2 |
38,136.1 |
+396.0 |
+1.0% |
||
Title IV. Domestic Food Programs |
|
|
|
||||||||
Child Nutrition Programs (M) |
22,794.0 |
24,254.1 |
23,140.8 |
23,943.2 |
24,041.6 |
23,602.6 |
23,615.1 |
+474.3 |
+2.0% |
||
WIC Program |
6,350.0 |
6,175.0 |
6,075.0 |
5,750.0 |
6,000.0 |
6,000.0 |
6,000.0 |
-75.0 |
-1.2% |
||
SNAP, Food and Nutrition Act Programs (M) |
78,480.7 |
74,013.5 |
73,476.9 |
69,069.9 |
71,093.9 |
69,163.3 |
67,886.3 |
-5,590.6 |
-7.6% |
||
Commodity Assistance Programs |
315.1 |
322.1 |
322.1 |
55.5 |
344.2 |
344.2 |
344.2 |
+22.1 |
+6.9% |
||
Nutrition Programs Administration |
170.7 |
153.8 |
164.7 |
152.0 |
154.0 |
160.9 |
155.9 |
-8.8 |
-5.3% |
||
Under Secretary |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||
Subtotal, Title IV |
|||||||||||
Discretionary |
6,884.7 |
6,709.8 |
6,620.3 |
5,958.3 |
6,584.8 |
6,563.5 |
6,566.0 |
-54.3 |
-0.8% |
||
Mandatory (M) |
101,226.7 |
98,209.6 |
96,560.0 |
93,013.1 |
95,049.8 |
92,708.3 |
91,436.3 |
-5,123.7 |
-5.3% |
||
Subtotal |
108,111.3 |
104,919.4 |
103,180.3 |
98,971.4 |
101,634.6 |
99,271.8 |
98,002.3 |
-5,178.0 |
-5.0% |
||
Title V. Foreign Assistance |
|
|
|
||||||||
196.6 |
199.7 |
213.9 |
192.8 |
215.5 |
217.9 |
215.5 |
+1.6 |
+0.8% |
|||
Food for Peace Title II, and admin. expenses |
1,466.1a |
1,600.1a |
1,500.1a |
0.1 |
1,850.1 |
1,716.1 |
1,725.1 |
+225.0 |
+15.0% |
||
McGovern-Dole Food for Education |
201.6 |
207.6 |
210.3 |
0.0 |
235.0 |
210.3 |
220.0 |
+9.7 |
+4.6% |
||
CCC Export Loan Salaries |
8.5 |
8.8 |
8.8 |
6.4 |
8.8 |
6.4 |
6.4 |
-2.5 |
-27.9% |
||
Office of Codex Alimentarius |
— |
3.8 |
4.0 |
4.8 |
4.8 |
4.8 |
4.8 |
+0.8 |
+20.1% |
||
Under Secretary |
— |
0.9 |
0.9 |
0.9 |
0.9 |
0.9 |
0.9 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||
Subtotal, Title V |
1,872.9 |
2,021.0 |
1,938.0 |
205.0 |
2,315.2 |
2,156.3 |
2,172.7 |
+234.7 |
+12.1% |
||
Title VI. Related Agencies |
|
|
|||||||||
Food and Drug Administration |
2,771.2 |
2,811.9 |
3,080.5 |
3,251.3 |
3,265.7 |
3,160.5 |
3,171.5 |
+91.0 |
+3.0% |
||
Commodity Futures Trading Commissionh |
[250.0]i |
249.0 |
[268.0]i |
250.0 |
315.0 |
[305.0]i |
315.0 |
+47.0 |
+17.5% |
||
Subtotal, Title VI |
[3,021.2] |
3,060.9 |
[3,348.5] |
3,501.3 |
3,580.7 |
[3,465.5] |
3,486.5 |
+138.0 |
+4.1% |
||
Title VII. General Provisions |
|
|
|
||||||||
Changes in Mandatory Programs (CHIMPS)j |
|||||||||||
a. Conservation programs |
-235.0 |
[-0.1]k |
[-60.2]k |
-60.2 |
-60.2 |
-60.2 |
-60.2 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||
b. Nutrition programs |
-106.0 |
+5.0 |
+5.0 |
— |
+6.0 |
+5.0 |
+9.0 |
+4.0 |
+80.0% |
||
c. Energy programs |
-40.0 |
-21.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
d. Rural Development (Cushion of Credit) |
-132.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
e. Section 32 |
-231.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
f. Farm Production & Conservation Bus. Ctr. |
— |
[+0.1]k |
[+60.2]k |
+60.2 |
+60.2 |
+60.2 |
+60.2 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||
g. Other CHIMPS and mandatory rescissions |
— |
+15.0 |
+10.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
-10.0 |
-100.0% |
||
Subtotal, CHIMPS (Table B-1) |
-744.0 |
-1.0 |
+15.0 |
+0.0 |
+6.0 |
+5.0 |
+9.0 |
-6.0 |
-40.0% |
||
-854.0 |
-800.0 |
-505.0 |
-1,153.0 |
-805.8 |
-815.1 |
-1,015.1 |
-510.1 |
+101.0% |
|||
Other appropriations (Table B-3) |
|||||||||||
a. Emergency/disaster programs |
234.8 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
535.0m |
+535.0 |
— |
||
b. Water and Waste Water |
— |
500.0 |
75.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
-75.0 |
-100.0% |
||
c. Broadband pilotn |
— |
600.0 |
125.0 |
— |
518.0 |
— |
300.0 |
+175.0 |
+140.0% |
||
d. Opioid Enforcement and Surveillance |
— |
94.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
e. Food for Peace |
134.0 |
116.0 |
216.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
-216.0 |
-100.0% |
||
f. Other appropriations |
103.4 |
68.1 |
77.5 |
— |
110.8 |
141.5 |
140.3 |
+62.8 |
+81.0% |
||
Subtotal, Other appropriations |
472.2 |
1,378.1 |
493.5 |
— |
628.8 |
141.5 |
975.3 |
+481.8 |
+97.6% |
||
Subtotal, Title VII |
-1,125.8 |
577.1 |
3.5 |
-1,153.0 |
-171.0 |
-668.6 |
-30.8 |
-34.3 |
-980.2% |
||
|
|
|
|||||||||
Emergency declaration in this bill |
-206.1 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
-535.0m |
-535.0 |
— |
||
Other scorekeeping adjustments |
-524.0 |
-481.0 |
-404.0 |
-403.0 |
-398.0 |
-398.0 |
-398.0 |
+6.0 |
-1.5% |
||
Subtotal, Scorekeeping adjustmentso |
-730.1 |
-481.0 |
-404.0 |
-403.0 |
-398.0 |
-398.0 |
-933.0 |
-529.0 |
+130.9% |
||
Totals |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
Discretionary: Senate basis w/o CFTCh |
20,877.0 |
[22,998.0] |
23,032.7 |
18,939.6 |
[23,984.0] |
23,089.6 |
[23,169.1] |
+136.4 |
+0.6% |
||
Discretionary: House basis w/ CFTCh |
[21,127.0] |
23,247.0 |
[23,300.7] |
19,189.6 |
24,299.0 |
[23,394.6] |
23,484.1 |
+183.4 |
+0.8% |
||
Mandatory (M) |
132,506.9 |
122,752.0 |
128,755.1 |
128,906.7 |
130,943.4 |
128,601.9 |
129,108.8 |
+353.7 |
+0.3% |
||
Total: Senate basis w/o CFTC |
153,383.9 |
[145,750.0] |
151,787.8 |
147,846.4 |
[154,927.4] |
151,691.5 |
[152,278.0] |
+490.1 |
+0.3% |
||
Total: House basis w/ CFTC |
[153,633.9] |
145,999.0 |
[152,055.8] |
148,096.4 |
155,242.4 |
[151,996.5] |
152,593.0 |
+537.1 |
+0.4% |
Source: CRS, using appropriations text, report tables, and unpublished CBO tables. H.R. 3055 refers to Division B of the June 25, 2019 (House-passed), and October 31, 2019 (Senate-passed) minibus bills, respectively. Subsequently, H.R. 3055 became the vehicle to carry the second CR without the minibus text.
Notes: Amounts are nominal discretionary budget authority in millions of dollars unless labeled otherwise. "(M)" indicates that the account is mandatory authority (or primarily mandatory authority). Excludes amounts in supplemental appropriations acts. Bracketed amounts are not in the Agriculture appropriations totals due to differing House-Senate jurisdiction for CFTC but are shown for comparison.
a. Excludes a portion of the other appropriations that are provided separately in General Provisions (see Table B-3).
b. Row headings reflect recent USDA reorganization. The Farm Service Agency and Risk Management Agency were moved from Title I to Title II, as was the Commodity Credit Corporation and Federal Crop Insurance Corporation in mandatory spending. Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration was moved into the Agricultural Marketing Service.
c. Includes regular FSA salaries and expenses, plus transfers for farm loan program salaries and administrative expenses. Also includes farm loan program loan subsidy, State Mediation Grants, Dairy Indemnity Program (mandatory funding), and Grassroots Source Water Protection Program. Does not include appropriations to the Foreign Agricultural Service for export loans and P.L. 480 administration that are transferred to FSA.
d. Loan authority is the amount of loans that can be made or guaranteed with a loan subsidy. This amount is not added in the budget authority subtotals or totals.
e. Rural Development salaries and expenses include a base amount plus transfers from the three rural development agencies. Amounts presented for the agencies therefore include program funds for loans and grants.
f. The FY2017 amount for the Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS) is before the rescission in the Cushion of Credit account, which is different from the Appropriations Committee tables. The rescission was classified by CBO as a CHIMP (see Table B-1).
g. The USDA-initiated reorganization in 2017 created an "Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development" as part of the Office of the Secretary rather than the previously Senate-confirmed undersecretary position. The 2018 farm bill reinstated the undersecretary position, and the FY2020 appropriation funds it as such.
h. Jurisdiction for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is in the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee and the Senate Financial Services Appropriations Subcommittee. After FY2008, CFTC is carried in the enacted Agriculture appropriations in even-numbered fiscal years. It is always carried in House Agriculture subcommittee markup but never in Senate Agriculture subcommittee markup. Bracketed amounts are not in the Agriculture appropriations totals due to differing House-Senate jurisdiction for CFTC but are shown for comparison.
i. The amounts for CFTC in FY2017 and FY2019 are from the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) division of the respective consolidated appropriations act, and for FY2020 Senate bill from the markup for FSGG (S. 2524).
j. Includes reductions (limitations and rescissions) and increases to mandatory programs that are known as CHIMPS.
k. These bracketed amounts were not in the official CBO scoring of CHIMPS. Appropriations acts in FY2018 and FY2019 transferred mandatory conservation funding into the Farm Production and Conservation Business Center, but the official CBO scoring of appropriations at that time did not record it as a CHIMP the way that the FY2020 scoring reflects. For more background, see CRS Report R46011, FY2020 Appropriations for Agricultural Conservation, by Megan Stubbs.
l. Rescissions are actions that reduce a budget authority subsequent to an enacted appropriation. They score budgetary savings. Any rescissions from mandatory programs are included with the CHIMPS.
m. Appropriations designated as emergency in FY2020 include $535 million for Ebola, and $1.5 billion for the Wildfires and Hurricane Indemnity Program, which was offset with $1.5 billion in rescissions (Table B-3).
n. Refers to the ReConnect Broadband Pilot Program that was created in the FY2018 appropriation (see CRS In Focus IF11262, The ReConnect Broadband Pilot Program, by Alyssa R. Casey). The program has been funded by a direct appropriation in the General Provisions title, and has been augmented in FY2019 and FY2020 by a transfer from the Cushion of Credit account that is available outside the appropriations caps. In FY2020, appropriators are directing $555 million to ReConnect: a $300 million appropriation and $255 million from the Cushion of Credit account.
o. "Scorekeeping adjustments" are not necessarily appropriated items and may not be shown in Appropriations Committee tables but are part of the official CBO score (accounting) of the bill. They predominantly include "negative subsidies" in loan program accounts (mostly from receipt of fees) and adjustments for emergency designations in the bill.
Besides setting spending authority, appropriations acts are also a vehicle for policy-related provisions that direct executive branch actions.46 These provisions, limitations, or riders may have the force of law if they are included in the act's text, but their effect is generally limited to the current fiscal year unless they amend the U.S. Code, which is rare in appropriations acts.
Table 4 compares some of the primary policy provisions that are included directly in the FY2020 Agriculture appropriations act, and its development in the House and Senate bills.
Report language may also provide policy instructions. Although report language does not carry the force of text in an act, it often explains congressional intent, which the agencies may be expected to follow. Statements in the joint explanatory statement and the committee reports47 are not included in Table 4.
In the past, Congress has said that committee reports and the joint explanatory statement need to be read together to capture all of the congressional intent for a fiscal year. For example, the explanatory statement for the FY2020 Further Consolidated Appropriations act instructs that the House and Senate reports should be read together with the conference agreement:
Congressional Directives. The statement is silent on provisions that were in both the House Report (H.Rept. 116-107) and Senate Report (S.Rept. 116-110) that remain unchanged by this agreement, except as noted in this statement.
The House and Senate report language that is not changed by the statement is approved and indicates congressional intentions. The statement, while repeating some report language for emphasis, does not intend to negate the language referred to above unless expressly provided herein.48
House H.R. 3055 |
Senate H.R. 3055 |
|
Relocation and restructuring |
||
Economic Research Service (ERS). Appropriation states that "necessary expenses" do not provide funds to relocate ERS outside the National Capital Region. (Title I) |
No comparable provision in Title I. Provides $15.5 million for relocation. (§762) |
No comparable provision. |
National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Appropriation states that "necessary expenses" do not provide funds to relocate NIFA outside the National Capital Region. (Title I) |
No comparable provision in Title I. Provides $9.5 million for relocation. (§762) |
No comparable provision. |
Farm Service Agency. None of the funds may be used to close a county office or to permanently relocate county-based employees that results in an office with two or fewer employees without congressional notification. (Title I)a |
Same as House provision. (Title I)a |
Same as House provision. (Title I)a |
Program reorganization—USDA. No funds may be used to create or eliminate programs, relocate offices or employees, reorganize offices, or privatize functions. (§716)b |
See Senate §716 of the Senate bill below. |
Program reorganization. Similar approach to §716 of the FY2019 enacted bill. (§716) |
Program reorganization—CFTC and FDA. No funds may be used to create or eliminate programs, relocate offices or employees, reorganize offices, or privatize functions unless notice is provided and approval is received from the Appropriations Committees. (§717)b |
Program reorganization—USDA and FDA. Similar approach to §717 of the House bill. Specifies USDA and FDA, but not CFTC. (§716)b |
See enacted §716 above. |
Relocation. None of the funds may be used to relocate an agency to outside the National Capital Region without enactment of appropriation that is specific for that relocation. (§758) |
No comparable provision. |
No comparable provision. |
Restructuring. None of the funds may be used to restructure an agency into another mission area or office without specific appropriation for that restructuring. (§759) |
No comparable provision. |
Same as House provision. (§789) |
Disaster Programs |
||
Disaster payments. In general, prohibits the use of Clause (3) of Section 32 (Funds for Strengthening Markets, Income and Supply, 7 U.S.C. §612c) to reestablish farmers' purchasing power by making payments to farmers. However, allows an exception to use up to $350 million of carryover for this purpose with congressional notification. (§714)c |
Same as House provision. (§714)c |
Same as House provision. (§714)c |
No comparable provision. |
Disaster assistance for sugar beet processors. Amends the list of eligible losses that may be covered under the Disaster Relief Act of FY2019 (P.L. 116-20, Title I) to include payments to cooperative processors for reduced sugar beet quantity and quality. (§764) |
Provision was included in the first continuing resolution for FY2020 (P.L. 116-59, Division A, §116). |
Agricultural Research |
||
Climate change. Prohibits USDA from removing the term "climate change" from any publication by any entity that receives USDA funding. (§784) |
No comparable provision. |
No comparable provision. |
Matching requirement. Allows USDA to waive the matching funds requirement for the Specialty Crops Research Initiative. (§762) |
No comparable provision. |
Same as House provision. (§762) |
National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF). Directs that NBAF shall be transferred from the Department of Homeland Security to USDA. (§766) |
Same as House provision. (§735) |
Same as House provision. (§766) |
Nutrition Assistance Programs |
||
SNAP retailer standards. Prohibits funding to administer the "variety requirements" in the final rule "Enhancing Retailer Standards in SNAP" until the Secretary amends the definition of variety to increase the number of items that qualify as acceptable varieties in each staple food category. (§728) |
Same as House provision. (§726) |
Same as House provision. (§727) |
Vegetables in school breakfast. Prohibits funding to implement or enforce the portion of a School Breakfast Program regulation that limits substituting fruits with certain vegetables. (§750) |
Same as House provision. (§751) |
Same as House provision. (§749) |
School meal prices. Exempts certain school food authorities (those without a negative balance in their school food service accounts as of December 31, 2019) from paid meal equity requirements in school year 2020-2021. (§747) |
No comparable provision. |
Same as House provision. (§747) |
Poultry from China. Prohibits funds to buy raw or processed poultry products from China for the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Food Service Program. (§739) |
No comparable provision. |
Same as House provision. (§738) |
Livestock, Animals, Regulatory Agencies |
||
Poultry from China. Prohibits funding to finalize the proposed rule, "Eligibility of the People's Republic of China to Export to the United States Poultry Products," until USDA verifies certain conditions. (§742) |
No comparable provision. |
Same as House provision. (§741) |
Horse slaughter. Prohibits USDA from conducting horse slaughter inspection. (§740) |
Same as House provision. (§765) |
Same as House provision. (§739) |
Animal Welfare Act. Prohibits funding to issue or renew licenses to class B dealers who sell dogs and cats for use in research, experiments, teaching, or testing. (§736) |
Same as House provision. (§739) |
Same as House provision. (§735) |
Directs the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to restore to its website and provide updated contents in an animal welfare database that was removed from the web in 2017. (§760) |
No comparable provision. |
Similar to House provision with additional specificity. (§788) |
Organic livestock. Directs USDA to finalize the proposed rule "National Organic Program; Origin of Livestock," published in the Federal Register on April 28, 2015. (§756) |
Same as House provision. (§752) |
Same as House provision. (§756) |
Swine Slaughter Inspection. Prohibits USDA from implementing the proposed rule "Modernization of Swine Slaughter Inspection" (February 1, 2018) until the USDA inspector general issues a report and the Food Safety and Inspection Service responds. (§779) |
No comparable provision. |
No comparable provision. |
No comparable provision. |
Genetically engineered salmon. Prohibits genetically engineered salmon from entering into interstate commerce until completion of a study commissioned jointly by USDA and FDA. (§763) |
Directs when the words "genetically engineered" shall be used for certain animal products (and also in the explanatory statement in relation to FDA approvals). (§790) |
Rural Development |
||
Prison populations. Prohibits including incarcerated prison populations when determining eligibility for Rural Development programs. (§722) |
No comparable provision. |
Same as House provision. (§721) |
American steel. Prohibits funding for rural water, wastewater, waste disposal, and solid waste management projects unless all of the iron and steel products are produced in the United States. (§737) |
Same as House provision. (§740) |
Same as House provision. (§736) |
Persistent poverty counties. Requires that at least 10% of the funds in certain rural development programs shall be allocated to persistent poverty counties, defined as any county that has had 20% or more of its population living in poverty over the past 30 years. (§741) |
Same as House provision. (§745) |
Same as House provision. (§740) |
Refinancing authority. Amends the Rural Electrification Act (7 U.S.C. 902 (a)) to allow refinancing of certain guaranteed loans. (§765) |
No comparable provision. |
Same as House provision. (§765) |
No comparable provision. |
REAP Zones. Sets aside funding for Rural Economic Area Partnership (REAP) Zones for several programs in amounts that were most recently obligated in REAP Zones from such programs. (§741) |
Same as Senate provision. (§760) |
Food and Drug Administration |
||
Produce for human consumption. Prohibits FDA funds to enforce the final rule "Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption" with respect to wine grapes, hops, pulse crops, or almonds. (§746) |
Grapes for wine. Similar to House provision except applies only to grapes used for wine. (§749) |
Same as House provision. (§746) |
Seafood. Directs the FDA to revise the advice in a notice about eating fish to be consistent with nutrition science recognized by FDA about seafood consumption. (§751) |
No comparable provision. |
Same as House provision. (§751) |
Human embryos. Prohibits FDA from using funds to accept any investigational new drug application for "research in which a human embryo is intentionally created or modified to include a heritable genetic modification." (§778) |
Same as House provision. (§730) |
Same as House provision. (§745) |
No comparable provision. |
E-cigarettes and vaping. Directs FDA to address recent illnesses from e-cigarettes and vaping products. (§767) |
Same as Senate provision. (§785) |
USDA Forest Serviced |
||
Forest Service. Prohibits USDA from eliminating the Forest Service Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center or altering the jurisdiction as it existed in the department on January 1, 2019. (§780) |
No comparable provision. |
Directs the USDA to continue the program (in report language for the Office of the Secretary). Similarly in the Department of Labor Appropriations, (Division A, Title I, §117) |
Other |
||
Hemp. No comparable provision in Agriculture appropriations, Division B. The Commerce, Justice, Science appropriation carries a provision prohibiting contravening §7606 of the 2014 farm bill by the Drug Enforcement Agency or the Department of Justice. (Division A, §530) |
Prohibits using appropriations to contravene §7606 of the 2014 farm bill or §10114 of the 2018 farm bill regarding hemp. (§727) Same as the House Commerce, Justice, Science provision. (Division A, §535) |
Same as Senate Agriculture appropriations provision. (§750) Same as the House Commerce, Justice, Science provision. (P.L. 116-93, Division B, Title II, §530) |
Source: CRS. H.R. 3055 refers to Division B of the June 25, 2019 (House-passed), and October 31, 2019 (Senate-passed), minibus bills, respectively.
a. The issue of closing an FSA county office is also addressed in a permanent law that requires certain conditions and notifications (7 U.S.C. §6932a). This appropriations provision, continued from previous years, would augment the standing law for one year.
b. For USDA, Section 716 of the House bill omits a conditional clause that has been used in prior years' appropriations that would presumably allow reorganization only if USDA notifies Congress and receives approval from the Appropriations committees. For CFTC and FDA, Section 717 of the House bill (and Section 716 of the Senate bill for USDA and FDA) retains the conditional approval clause. The USDA Office of General Counsel recently noted that these types of approval clauses have been found to be unconstitutional as determined by the Supreme Court in INS v. Chada (1983). See the USDA inspector general's report about relocating ERS and NIFA and the USDA Office of General Counsel's comments (OIG Report 91801-00001-23, p. 35, August 2019).
c. Appropriations acts from FY2012 to FY2016 imposed a complete prohibition on disaster payments that relied upon Clause (3) of Section 327 (U.S.C. §612c) or Section (5) of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC, 15 U.S.C. §714c). Beginning in FY2017, the restriction provision in appropriations began to allow a limited amount of carryover in Section 32 to fund Clause (3) up to $75 million, but the complete prohibition continued on Section (5) of CCC. Beginning in FY2018, the restriction on CCC was lifted (by no longer being inserted into the appropriation), and the Section 32 allowance for carryover rose to up to $350 million.
d. Although the Forest Service is part of USDA, jurisdiction for its appropriations are in the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
Appendix A. Appropriations in Administrative Accounts
FY2017 |
FY2018 |
FY2019 |
FY2020 |
Change from FY2019 |
|||||||||
Office |
Admin. request |
House H.R. 3055 |
Senate |
$ |
% |
||||||||
Office of the Secretary |
|||||||||||||
Office of the Secretary |
5.1 |
5.1 |
5.1 |
4.9 |
3.9 |
|
5.1 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||||
Office of Tribal Relations |
0.5 |
Combined with Public Partnership and Engagement |
|||||||||||
Assistant to the Sec. for Rural Developmenta |
— |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
|
||||||||
Office of Homeland Security |
1.5 |
1.5 |
1.5 |
1.4 |
1.4 |
1.5 |
1.5 |
+0.0 |
+0.1% |
||||
Public Partnership and Engagementb |
1.2 |
4.7 |
4.7 |
1.7 |
6.2 |
4.7 |
6.2 |
+1.5 |
+31.8% |
||||
Assistant Secretary for Admin. |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.9 |
0.9 |
0.9 |
0.9 |
0.9 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||||
Departmental Administration |
24.1 |
22.3 |
22.3 |
21.4 |
0.4 |
16.3 |
21.4 |
-0.9 |
-4.1% |
||||
Asst. Sec. Congressional Relations |
3.9 |
3.9 |
3.9 |
3.1 |
3.1 |
3.9 |
3.9 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||||
Office of Communications |
7.5 |
7.5 |
7.5 |
7.3 |
3.7 |
7.5 |
7.3 |
-0.2 |
-3.2% |
||||
Subtotal |
44.6 |
46.5 |
46.6 |
41.4 |
19.5 |
40.8 |
46.1 |
-0.5 |
-1.0% |
||||
Executive Operations |
|||||||||||||
Office of Chief Economist |
18.9 |
19.8 |
21.3 |
18.5 |
21.0 |
24.3 |
24.0 |
+2.7 |
+12.8% |
||||
Office of Hearings and Appeals |
13.4 |
15.2 |
15.2 |
13.5 |
15.2 |
15.2 |
15.2 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||||
Office of Budget, Program Analysis |
9.5 |
9.5 |
9.5 |
8.2 |
9.5 |
9.5 |
9.5 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||||
Subtotal |
41.8 |
44.5 |
46.0 |
40.2 |
45.8 |
49.0 |
48.8 |
+2.7 |
+5.9% |
||||
Other Administration |
|||||||||||||
Chief Information Officer |
49.5 |
59.0 |
55.6 |
101.4 |
48.9 |
101.4 |
66.6 |
+11.0 |
+19.7% |
||||
Chief Financial Officer |
8.0 |
6.0 |
6.0 |
13.5 |
6.0 |
7.5 |
6.0 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||||
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights |
0.9 |
0.9 |
0.9 |
0.8 |
0.9 |
0.9 |
0.9 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||||
Office of Civil Rights |
24.2 |
24.2 |
24.2 |
21.2 |
24.2 |
24.2 |
24.2 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||||
Buildings and facilities |
84.2 |
64.4 |
60.0 |
331.1 |
330.1 |
317.1 |
128.2 |
+68.2 |
+113.8% |
||||
Hazardous materials management |
3.6 |
3.5 |
3.5 |
3.3 |
5.3 |
3.5 |
4.5 |
+1.0 |
+28.5% |
||||
Office of Inspector General |
98.2 |
98.2 |
98.2 |
98.2 |
99.2 |
98.2 |
98.2 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||||
General Counsel |
44.7 |
44.5 |
45.1 |
41.2 |
11.2 |
45.1 |
45.1 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||||
Office of Ethics |
4.1 |
4.1 |
4.1 |
2.8 |
4.1 |
4.1 |
4.1 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||||
Subtotal |
317.5 |
304.9 |
297.7 |
613.5 |
530.1 |
602.1 |
377.9 |
+80.2 |
+26.9% |
||||
Total, Departmental Administration |
403.9 |
396.0 |
390.4 |
695.1 |
595.3 |
691.9 |
472.8 |
+82.4 |
+21.1% |
Source: CRS, using appropriations text and report tables. For FY2020, H.R. 3055 (Division B) is House-passed and Senate-passed.
a. The USDA-initiated reorganization in 2017 created an "Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development" as part of the Office of the Secretary rather than the previously Senate-confirmed undersecretary position. The 2018 farm bill reinstated the undersecretary position, and the FY2020 appropriation funds it as such.
Appendix B. Appropriations in General Provisions
Table B-1. General Provisions: Changes in Mandatory Program Spending (CHIMPS)
Budget authority in millions of dollars
FY2017 |
FY2018 |
FY2019 |
FY2020 |
Change from FY2019 |
|||||||
CHIMPS and mandatory rescissions |
Admin. request |
House H.R. 3055 |
Senate |
$ |
% |
||||||
a. Farm bill conservation programs |
|||||||||||
Farm Security Rural Investment Act programs |
— |
[-0.1]a |
[-60.2]a |
-60.2 |
-60.2 |
-60.2 |
-60.2 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||
Environmental Quality Incentives Program |
-179.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
Watershed Rehabilitation Program |
-54.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
Agricultural Management Assistance |
-2.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
b. Other farm bill programs |
|||||||||||
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program |
-125.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
The Emergency Food Assistance Program |
+19.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
Farm to School |
— |
+5.0 |
+5.0 |
— |
+6.0 |
+5.0 |
+9.0 |
+4.0 |
+80.0% |
||
Biorefinery Assistance Program |
-20.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
Biomass Crop Assistance Program |
-20.0 |
-21.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
Tree Assistance Program |
— |
+15.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
Subtotal, farm bill programs |
-381.0 |
-1.0 |
+5.0 |
-60.0 |
-54.0 |
-55.0 |
-51.2 |
-56.2 |
-1124.6% |
||
Other CHIMPS |
|||||||||||
Farm Production & Conservation Bus. Ctr. |
— |
[+0.1]a |
[+60.2]a |
+60.2 |
+60.2 |
+60.2 |
+60.2 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||
Cushion of Credit (Rural Development) |
-132.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
Section 32 |
-231.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
Food for Progress |
— |
— |
+10.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
-10.0 |
-100.0% |
||
Total CHIMPS |
-744.0 |
-1.0 |
+15.0 |
+0.0 |
+6.0 |
+5.0 |
+9.0 |
-6.0 |
-40.0% |
Source: CRS, using appropriations text and report tables, and unpublished CBO tables. For FY2020, H.R. 3055 (Division B) is House-passed and Senate-passed.
a. Amounts in brackets were not in the official CBO scoring of CHIMPS. Appropriations acts in FY2018 and FY2019 transferred mandatory conservation funding into the Farm Production and Conservation Business Center, but the official CBO scoring of appropriations at that time did not record it as a CHIMP the way that the FY2020 scoring reflects. For more background, see CRS Report R46011, FY2020 Appropriations for Agricultural Conservation, by Megan Stubbs.
Table B-2. General Provisions: Rescissions from Discretionary Accounts
Budget authority in millions of dollars
FY2017 |
FY2018 |
FY2019 |
FY2020 |
Change from FY2019 |
|||||||
Rescissions of discretionary accounts |
Admin. request |
House H.R. 3055 |
Senate |
$ |
% |
||||||
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children |
-850.0 |
-800.0 |
-500.0 |
-1,000.0 |
-800.0 |
-800.0 |
-1,000.0 |
-500.0 |
+100.0% |
||
NIFA buildings and facilities (relocation) |
— |
— |
— |
— |
-5.8 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
Rural Development balances |
-4.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
Rural community facilities program |
— |
— |
— |
-4.2 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
Rural Housing Service |
— |
— |
— |
-40.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
Water and waste disposal cancellation |
— |
— |
— |
-100.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
Electric loan refinancing |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
-15.1 |
-15.1 |
-15.1 |
— |
||
FAS salaries and expenses |
— |
— |
— |
-8.8 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
USDA unobligated balances |
— |
— |
-5.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
+5.0 |
-100.0% |
||
Total |
-854.0 |
-800.0 |
-505.0 |
-1,153.0 |
-805.8 |
-815.1 |
-1,015.1 |
-510.1 |
+101.0% |
Source: CRS, using appropriations text and report tables, and unpublished CBO tables. For FY2020, H.R. 3055 (Division B) is House-passed and Senate-passed.
FY2017 |
FY2018 |
FY2019 |
FY2020 |
Change from FY2019 |
|||||||
Program |
Admin. request |
House H.R. 3055 |
Senate |
$ |
% |
||||||
Zika virus, Ebola funding |
10.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
Opioid Enforcement and Surveillance |
— |
94.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
FDA buildings and facilities |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
20.0 |
20.0 |
+20.0 |
— |
||
Agriculture Risk Coverage pilot |
5.0 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
-5.0 |
-100.0% |
||
Dairy Innovation |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
20.0 |
20.0 |
+20.0 |
— |
||
Mitigation banking |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
5.0 |
5.0 |
+5.0 |
— |
||
Conservation Reserve Program pilot |
— |
1.0 |
1.0 |
— |
— |
1.0 |
1.0 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||
Farmland Relending Program |
— |
— |
— |
— |
5.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
Farm Ownership Report |
— |
— |
— |
— |
1.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
Citrus greening |
5.5 |
7.5 |
8.5 |
— |
8.5 |
8.5 |
8.5 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||
Protecting Animals with Shelter Grants |
— |
— |
— |
— |
2.0 |
3.0 |
2.0 |
+2.0 |
— |
||
Eastern equine encephalitis |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
1.0 |
— |
— |
— |
||
APHIS buildings & facilities |
47.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
Fruit fly quarantine payments |
— |
— |
9.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
-9.0 |
-100.0% |
||
Hardwood trees reforestation pilot |
0.6 |
0.6 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
Geographically disadvantaged farmers |
2.0 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
— |
2.0 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
+0.0 |
+0.2% |
||
Farming Opportunities Training and Outreach |
— |
— |
— |
— |
10.0 |
— |
5.0 |
+5.0 |
— |
||
Water Bank |
4.0 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
— |
— |
4.0 |
4.0 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||
Rural Energy Savings Program |
8.0 |
8.0 |
10.0 |
— |
15.0 |
10.0 |
12.0 |
+2.0 |
+20.0% |
||
Maturing mortgage pilot |
1.0 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
— |
— |
1.0 |
1.0 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||
Rural microentrepreneur assistance program |
— |
— |
3.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
-3.0 |
-100.0% |
||
Water and Waste Water |
— |
500.0 |
75.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
-75.0 |
-100.0% |
||
Waste water pilot |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
5.0 |
5.0 |
+5.0 |
— |
||
Broadband pilota |
— |
600.0 |
125.0 |
— |
518.0 |
— |
300.0 |
+175.0 |
+140.0% |
||
Distance Learning Telemedicine |
— |
20.0 |
16.0 |
— |
— |
1.0 |
— |
-16.0 |
-100.0% |
||
Rural Hospital Technical Assistance |
— |
— |
— |
— |
1.0 |
— |
1.0 |
+1.0 |
— |
||
Tribal Demonstration Projects |
— |
— |
— |
— |
3.0 |
— |
3.0 |
+3.0 |
— |
||
Electric loan refinancing |
13.8 |
5.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
Healthy Food Financing Initiative |
1.0 |
1.0 |
2.0 |
— |
10.0 |
2.0 |
5.0 |
+3.0 |
+150.0% |
||
Healthy Fluid Milk |
— |
— |
— |
— |
1.0 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
+1.0 |
— |
||
Farm and Ranch Stress Network |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
5.0 |
— |
— |
— |
||
RISE grants |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
5.0 |
5.0 |
+5.0 |
— |
||
NIFA military veterans grants |
5.0 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
— |
5.0 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||
NIFA buildings and facilities (relocation) |
— |
6.0 |
— |
— |
—b |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
ERS-NIFA relocation expenses |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
25.0 |
— |
— |
— |
||
Genome to Phenome |
— |
— |
— |
— |
1.0 |
— |
1.0 |
+1.0 |
— |
||
Science Technology Engineering Math programs |
0.5 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
NIFA 1890 land grants, Centers of Excellence |
— |
— |
5.0 |
— |
10.0 |
3.0 |
6.0 |
+1.0 |
+20.0% |
||
Tribal Student Scholarships |
— |
— |
— |
— |
2.5 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
+5.0 |
— |
||
International Agriculture Education |
— |
— |
— |
— |
1.0 |
— |
1.0 |
+1.0 |
— |
||
Pollinator Research Coordinator |
— |
— |
— |
— |
0.4 |
— |
0.4 |
+0.4 |
— |
||
Urban Agriculture Office |
— |
— |
— |
— |
5.0 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
+5.0 |
— |
||
Food Loss Liaison |
— |
— |
— |
— |
0.4 |
— |
0.4 |
+0.4 |
— |
||
Food for Peace |
134.0 |
116.0 |
216.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
-216.0 |
-100.0% |
||
Food for Progress |
— |
— |
6.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
-6.0 |
-100.0% |
||
Child Nutrition training pilot |
— |
2.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
Nutrition Assistance Program Study |
— |
— |
— |
— |
7.0 |
— |
6.0 |
+6.0 |
— |
||
Micro-grants for Food Security |
— |
— |
— |
— |
10.0 |
2.0 |
5.0 |
+5.0 |
— |
||
Food insecurity pilot project |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
2.0 |
— |
— |
— |
||
School breakfast expansion |
— |
— |
— |
— |
10.0 |
— |
5.0 |
+5.0 |
— |
||
Subtotal, other spending provisions |
237.4 |
1,378.1 |
493.5 |
0.0 |
628.8 |
141.5 |
440.3 |
-53.2 |
-10.8% |
||
Disaster/Emergency programs |
|||||||||||
Ebola prevention and treatment |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
535.0 |
+535.0 |
— |
||
Rescission of unobligated emergency funding |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
-1,500.0 |
-1,500.0 |
— |
||
WHIP (Wildfire, Hurricanes Indemnity Program) |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
1,500.0 |
+1,500.0 |
— |
||
Emergency Watershed Protection |
103.1 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
Emergency Conservation Program |
131.6 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
Subtotal, disaster/emergency programs |
234.8c |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
535.0d |
+535.0 |
— |
||
Total |
472.2c |
1,378.1 |
493.5 |
0.0 |
628.8 |
141.5 |
975.3d |
+481.8 |
+97.6% |
Source: CRS, using appropriations text and report tables, and unpublished CBO tables. For FY2020, H.R. 3055 (Division B) is House-passed and Senate-passed.
Note: Excludes supplemental appropriations outside the annual appropriations act.
a. Refers to the ReConnect Broadband Pilot Program that was created in the FY2018 appropriation (see CRS In Focus IF11262, The ReConnect Broadband Pilot Program, by Alyssa R. Casey). The program has been funded by a direct appropriation in the General Provisions title, and has been augmented in FY2019 and FY2020 by a transfer from the Cushion of Credit account that is available outside the appropriations caps. In FY2020, appropriators are directing $555 million to ReConnect: a $300 million appropriation and $255 million from the Cushion of Credit account.
b. See Table B-2 for a proposed rescission from the FY2018 appropriation in the FY2020 House bill.
c. Of this amount, $206 million was designated as emergency spending and not counted against the discretionary spending limit (see Table B-4).
d. Appropriations designated as emergency spending in FY2020 and not counted against the discretionary spending limit include $535 million for Ebola, and $1.5 billion for the Wildfires and Hurricane Indemnity Program, which was offset with $1.5 billion in rescissions (see Table B-4).
FY2017 |
FY2018 |
FY2019 |
FY2020 |
Change from FY2019 |
|||||||
Scorekeeping Adjustment |
P.L. 116-6 |
Admin. request |
House H.R. 3055 |
Senate |
$ |
% |
|||||
Loan program negative subsidies |
|||||||||||
Rural housing negative subsidy |
-146.0 |
-147.0 |
-135.0 |
-125.0 |
-125.0 |
-125.0 |
-125.0 |
+10.0 |
-7.4% |
||
Rural community facilities negative subsidy |
-159.0 |
-99.0 |
-72.0 |
-72.0 |
-72.0 |
-72.0 |
-72.0 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||
Rural elec. & tele. loan negative subsidy |
-203.0 |
-207.0 |
-173.0 |
-176.0 |
-176.0 |
-176.0 |
-176.0 |
-3.0 |
+1.7% |
||
Rural water & waste loan negative subsidy |
-2.0 |
-2.0 |
-2.0 |
-3.0 |
-3.0 |
-3.0 |
-3.0 |
-1.0 |
+50.0% |
||
Ag credit loan negative subsidy |
-24.0 |
-24.0 |
-23.0 |
-23.0 |
-23.0 |
-23.0 |
-23.0 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||
Subtotal, negative subsidies |
-534.0 |
-479.0 |
-405.0 |
-399.0 |
-399.0 |
-399.0 |
-399.0 |
+6.0 |
-1.5% |
||
Denali Commission |
4.0 |
— |
— |
-4.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
Interest Native American Fund Endowment |
5.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||
Child nutrition equipment grants |
1.0 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
— |
1.0 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
+0.0 |
+0.0% |
||
Emergency designations not counted in allocation |
-206.1 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
-535.0a |
-535.0 |
— |
||
Total |
-730.1 |
-481.0 |
-404.0 |
-403.0 |
-398.0 |
-398.0 |
-933.0 |
-529.0 |
+130.9% |
Source: CRS, using appropriations text and report tables, and unpublished CBO tables. For FY2020, H.R. 3055 (Division B) is House-passed and Senate-passed.
Notes: A negative subsidy for a loan program generally occurs when the interest rate and/or fees charged to the borrowers are more than sufficient to cover the costs of the risk of default (Government Accountability Office, "Credit Reform: Current Method to Estimate Credit Subsidy Costs Is More Appropriate for Budget Estimates Than a Fair Value Approach," p. 8, GAO-16-41, January 2016).
a. Appropriations designated as emergency spending in FY2020 include $535 million for Ebola, and $1.5 billion for the Wildfires and Hurricane Indemnity Program, which was offset with $1.5 billion in rescissions of prior-year emergency appropriations (see Table B-3).
Appendix C. Budget Sequestration
Sequestration is a process to reduce federal spending through automatic, largely across-the-board reductions that permanently cancel mandatory and/or discretionary budget authority.49 Sequestration is triggered as a budget enforcement mechanism when federal spending would exceed statutory budget goals.50 Sequestration is currently authorized by the BCA (P.L. 112-25).
A sequestration rate is the percentage reduction that is subtracted from an appropriated budget authority to achieve an intended budget goal. OMB computes these rates annually. Table C-1 shows the rates of sequestration that have been announced and the total amounts of budget authority that have been cancelled from accounts in Agriculture appropriations. Table C-2 provides additional detail at the program level for mandatory accounts.
Discretionary Accounts |
Mandatory Accounts |
|||
Fiscal Year |
Sequestration Rate |
Sequestered Budget Authority |
Sequestration Rate |
Sequestered Budget Authority |
2013 |
5.0% |
1,153 |
5.1% |
713 |
2014 |
— |
— |
7.2% |
1,052 |
2015 |
— |
— |
7.3% |
1,153 |
2016 |
— |
— |
6.8% |
1,819 |
2017 |
— |
— |
6.9% |
1,686 |
2018 |
— |
— |
6.6% |
1,316 |
2019 |
— |
— |
6.2% |
1,530 |
2020 |
— |
— |
5.9% |
1,378 |
Source: CRS, compiled from OMB, Reports to the Congress on the Joint Committee Reductions, various fiscal years. Available for FY2018-FY2020 at https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/legislative/sequestration-reports-orders and for FY2013-FY2017 at https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/omb/legislative_reports/sequestration.
Notes: Sequestration rates listed here are for nonexempt, nondefense accounts. CRS computed amount totals from the compilation in Table C-2.
Discretionary Spending
For discretionary spending, sequestration is authorized through FY2021 if discretionary defense and nondefense spending exceed caps that are specified in statute (2 U.S.C. §901(c)).
In FY2013, the timing of the appropriations acts and the first year of sequestration resulted in triggering sequestration on discretionary spending.
In FY2014-FY2019, BBAs in 2013, 2015, and 2018 (P.L. 113-67, P.L. 114-74, and P.L. 115-123, respectively) have avoided sequestration on discretionary spending. These BBAs raised the discretionary budget caps that were placed in statute by the BCA and allowed Congress to enact larger appropriations than would have been allowed. The enacted appropriations in FY2014-FY2019 met the spending limitations of the revised budget caps, and therefore no sequestration on discretionary accounts was necessary.
For FY2020-FY2021, the BBA of 2019 (P.L. 116-37) similarly provides a higher discretionary cap that may avoid sequestration (see "Discretionary Budget Caps and Subcommittee Allocations").51
Mandatory Spending
Sequestration Occurs and Continues
For mandatory spending, sequestration is presently authorized and scheduled to continue through FY2029, having been amended and extended by budget acts that were subsequent to the BCA (2 U.S.C. §901a(6)). That is, sequestration of mandatory spending has not been avoided by the BBAs and continues to apply annually to certain accounts (Table C-2).
The original FY2021 sunset on the sequestration of mandatory accounts has been extended five times as an offset to pay for raising the caps on discretionary spending to avoid sequestration in the near term (or as a general budgetary offset for other authorization acts):
Exemptions from Sequestration
Some USDA mandatory programs are statutorily exempt from sequestration. Those expressly exempt by statute are the nutrition programs (SNAP, the child nutrition programs, and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program)56 and the Conservation Reserve Program.57 Some prior legal obligations in the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation58 and the farm commodity programs may be exempt59 as determined by OMB.60
Generally speaking, the experience since FY2013 is that OMB has ruled that most of crop insurance is exempt from sequestration, while the farm commodity programs, disaster assistance, and most conservation programs have been subject to it.61
Implementation of Sequestration
Nonexempt mandatory spending in FY2020 is to be reduced by a 5.9% sequestration rate (Table C-1) and thus would be paid at 94.1% of what would otherwise have been provided. This is projected to result in a reduction of about $1.4 billion from mandatory agriculture accounts in FY2020, including over $900 million from amounts paid by the CCC (Table C-2).
For example, for the farm commodity programs that support farm income such as the Agricultural Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs,62 payments to farmers are computed by a regular formula authorized in the farm bill, and the final actual payment to the farmer is reduced by the sequestration rate. For programs that operate on a fixed budget authority, such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Market Assistance Program, the sequestration rate is applied to the available budget authority for the fiscal year.
FY2013 |
FY2014 |
FY2015 |
FY2016 |
FY2017 |
FY2018 |
FY2019 |
FY2020 |
|
Sequestration rate on nonexempt, nondefense mandatory accounts |
5.1% |
7.2% |
7.3% |
6.8% |
6.9% |
6.6% |
6.2% |
5.9% |
U.S. Department of Agriculture |
||||||||
Office of the Secretary |
— |
— |
0.9 |
0.9 |
0.9 |
0.9 |
0.8 |
0.9 |
Office of Chief Economist |
— |
— |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
Agricultural Research Service |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
National Institute of Food and Agriculture |
— |
— |
— |
9.9 |
10.0 |
— |
— |
11.7 |
Extension |
0.3 |
0.4 |
1.8 |
— |
— |
3.3 |
0.3 |
— |
Biomass Research and Development |
— |
— |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
— |
— |
— |
Integrated Activities |
— |
— |
7.3 |
— |
— |
6.6 |
5.0 |
— |
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service |
||||||||
Salaries appropriation |
13.6 |
18.8 |
21.5 |
20.1 |
19.5 |
18.8 |
52.1 |
51.3 |
Miscellaneous Trust Funds |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
Food Safety Inspection Service |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards Administration |
2.1 |
3.0 |
3.0 |
3.1 |
3.1 |
2.9 |
— |
— |
Agricultural Marketing Service |
||||||||
Section 32 |
40.4 |
79.7 |
81.9 |
77.3 |
79.6 |
78.1 |
74.4 |
72.2 |
Payments to states and possessions |
— |
— |
5.3 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
5.6 |
5.3 |
5.0 |
Milk Market Orders Assessment Fund |
2.9 |
4.2 |
4.2 |
4.0 |
4.1 |
4.0 |
3.8 |
4.8 |
Fee-Funded Inspection, Weighing, and Examinationa |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
2.9 |
Marketing services |
— |
— |
2.2 |
2.0 |
2.1 |
2.0 |
3.0 |
2.1 |
Perishable Agriculture Commodities Act |
0.6 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.7 |
0.7 |
0.6 |
Expenses and refunds |
0.4 |
0.9 |
0.9 |
1.3 |
1.3 |
0.4 |
0.4 |
0.6 |
Risk Management Agency |
— |
— |
— |
— |
0.6 |
— |
— |
— |
Federal Crop Insurance Corporation |
3.0 |
4.2 |
5.9 |
3.5 |
3.9 |
3.7 |
5.0 |
3.2 |
Farm Service Agency |
||||||||
Commodity Credit Corporation Fund |
329.5 |
573.7 |
710.8 |
1,388.6 |
1,238.6 |
904.1 |
1,088.2 |
938.6 |
Wool Apparel Manufacturers Trust Fund |
— |
— |
— |
2.0 |
2.1 |
2.0 |
1.9 |
1.8 |
Pima Cotton Trust Fund |
— |
— |
— |
1.1 |
1.1 |
1.1 |
— |
0.9 |
Commodity Credit Corporation Export Loans |
— |
— |
— |
0.4 |
0.4 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
0.2 |
Agricultural Credit Insurance Corporation |
— |
— |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
Agricultural Disaster Relief Fund |
70.0 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
Tobacco Trust Fund |
49.0 |
69.1 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
Farm Production and Conservation Business Center |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
3.7 |
— |
Natural Resources Conservation Service |
||||||||
Farm bill conservation programs |
171.2 |
263.1 |
269.9 |
265.7 |
281.5 |
254.9 |
262.4 |
252.2 |
Watershed Rehabilitation Program |
— |
11.9 |
11.2 |
4.7 |
4.7 |
4.4 |
3.0 |
3.0 |
Damage Assessment Restoration Revolving Fund |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
0.1 |
0.1 |
Rural Development, Rural Business Cooperative Service |
||||||||
Rural Energy for America Program |
1.1 |
3.0 |
3.7 |
3.4 |
3.5 |
3.3 |
3.1 |
3.0 |
Biorefinery Assistance Program |
— |
— |
3.7 |
3.4 |
1.4 |
1.3 |
— |
1.5 |
Rural Cooperative Development Grants |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
1.1 |
Rural Economic Development Grants |
— |
— |
— |
1.6 |
— |
— |
0.9 |
0.9 |
Rural Microenterprise Investment Program |
— |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
— |
— |
Energy Assistance Payments |
3.3 |
3.2 |
1.1 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
— |
0.4 |
Foreign Agricultural Service |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
Food and Nutrition Serviceb |
||||||||
SNAP |
4.7 |
8.0 |
8.4 |
9.8 |
10.6 |
9.6 |
9.2 |
9.4 |
Child Nutrition Programs |
2.5 |
4.2 |
4.2 |
3.9 |
4.3 |
4.0 |
3.9 |
3.2 |
Commodity Assistance Program |
1.1 |
1.5 |
1.5 |
1.4 |
1.4 |
1.4 |
1.3 |
1.2 |
WIC |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
Related Agencies |
||||||||
Commodity Futures Trading Commission |
0.7 |
0.9 |
1.0 |
2.2 |
2.2 |
0.1 |
0.3 |
3.5 |
Food and Drug Administration |
||||||||
Revolving Fund for Certification |
0.4 |
0.6 |
0.6 |
0.6 |
0.6 |
0.6 |
0.6 |
0.6 |
User fees |
16.3 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation |
0.2 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
Total |
713.3 |
1,051.9 |
1,153.0 |
1,818.9 |
1,685.6 |
1,315.9 |
1,530.3 |
1,377.8 |
Source: CRS, compiled from amounts published in advance in OMB, Reports to the Congress on the Joint Committee Reductions, various fiscal years. Available for FY2018-FY2019 at https://www.whitehouse.gov, and for FY2013-FY2017 at https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov.
Notes: Column totals were computed by CRS based on the jurisdiction of the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee. Sequestration rates are for nonexempt, nondefense accounts. The sequestration-eligible budget authority for each cell may be computed by dividing the amount of sequestration by the sequestration rate.
a. USDA reorganization moved the Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration into the Agricultural Marketing Service.
b. Benefits from the nutrition programs are generally exempt from sequestration by statute, but some administrative expenses in these programs may be subject to sequestration, and therefore a relatively small portion of the total budget authority may be sequestration-eligible.
Appendix D. Action on Agriculture Appropriations, FY1996-FY2020
House Action |
Senate Action |
Final Appropriation |
|||||||||
Fiscal Year |
Subcmte. |
Cmte. |
Floor |
Subcmte. |
Cmte. |
Floor |
Enacted |
Public Law |
CRS Report |
||
1996 |
6/14/1995 |
6/27/1995 |
7/21/1995 |
9/13/1995 |
9/14/1995 |
9/20/1995 |
10/21/1995 |
E |
95-624 |
||
1997 |
5/30/1996 |
6/6/1996 |
6/12/1996 |
7/10/1996 |
7/11/1996 |
7/24/1996 |
8/6/1996 |
E |
IB96015 |
||
1998 |
6/25/1997 |
7/14/1997 |
7/24/1997 |
7/15/1997 |
7/17/1997 |
7/24/1997 |
11/18/1997 |
E |
|||
1999 |
6/10/1998 |
6/16/1998 |
6/24/1998 |
6/9/1998 |
6/11/1998 |
7/16/1998 |
10/21/1998 |
O |
|||
2000 |
5/13/1999 |
5/24/1999 |
6/8/1999 |
6/15/1999 |
6/17/1999 |
8/4/1999 |
10/22/1999 |
E |
|||
2001 |
5/4/2000 |
5/16/2000 |
7/11/2000 |
5/4/2000 |
5/10/2000 |
7/20/2000 |
10/28/2000 |
E |
|||
2002 |
6/6/2001 |
6/27/2001 |
7/11/2001 |
Polled out |
7/18/2001 |
10/25/2001 |
11/28/2001 |
E |
|||
2003 |
6/26/2002 |
7/26/2002 |
— |
7/23/2002 |
7/25/2002 |
— |
2/20/2003 |
O |
|||
2004 |
6/17/2003 |
7/9/2003 |
7/14/2003 |
7/17/2003 |
11/6/2003 |
11/6/2003 |
1/23/2004 |
O |
|||
2005 |
6/14/2004 |
7/7/2004 |
7/13/2004 |
9/8/2004 |
9/14/2004 |
— |
12/8/2004 |
O |
|||
2006 |
5/16/2005 |
6/2/2005 |
6/8/2005 |
6/21/2005 |
6/27/2005 |
9/22/2005 |
11/10/2005 |
E |
|||
2007 |
5/3/2006 |
5/9/2006 |
5/23/2006 |
6/20/2006 |
6/22/2006 |
— |
2/15/2007 |
Y |
|||
2008 |
7/12/2007 |
7/19/2007 |
8/2/2007 |
7/17/2007 |
7/19/2007 |
— |
12/26/2007 |
O |
|||
2009 |
6/19/2008 |
— |
— |
Polled out |
7/17/2008 |
— |
3/11/2009 |
O |
|||
2010 |
6/11/2009 |
6/18/2009 |
7/9/2009 |
Polled out |
7/7/2009 |
8/4/2009 |
10/21/2009 |
E |
|||
2011 |
6/30/2010 |
— |
— |
Polled out |
7/15/2010 |
— |
4/15/2011 |
Y |
|||
2012 |
5/24/2011 |
5/31/2011 |
6/16/2011 |
Polled out |
9/7/2011 |
11/1/2011 |
11/18/2011 |
O |
|||
2013 |
6/6/2012 |
6/19/2012 |
— |
Polled out |
4/26/2012 |
— |
3/26/2013 |
O |
|||
2014 |
6/5/2013 |
6/13/2013 |
— |
6/18/2013 |
6/20/2013 |
— |
1/17/2014 |
O |
|||
2015 |
5/20/2014 |
5/29/2014 |
— |
5/20/2014 |
5/22/2014 |
— |
12/16/2014 |
O |
|||
2016 |
6/18/2015 |
7/8/2015 |
— |
7/14/2015 |
7/16/2015 |
— |
12/18/2015 |
O |
|||
2017 |
4/13/2016 |
4/19/2016 |
— |
5/17/2016 |
5/19/2016 |
— |
5/5/2017 |
O |
R44588 |
||
2018 |
6/28/2017 |
7/12/2017 |
9/14/2017 |
7/18/2017 |
7/20/2017 |
— |
3/23/2018 |
O |
|||
2019 |
5/9/2018 |
5/16/2018 |
— |
5/22/2018 |
5/24/2018 |
8/1/2018 |
2/15/2019 |
O |
|||
2020 |
5/23/2019 |
6/4/2019 |
6/25/2019 |
9/17/2019 |
9/19/2019 |
10/31/2019 |
12/20/2019 |
O |
Source: CRS.
Notes: E = Enacted as standalone appropriation (eight times over 25 years); O = Omnibus appropriation (15 times); Y = Year-long CR (two times). "Polled out" refers to a procedure that permits a Senate subcommittee to transmit a bill to its full committee without a formal markup session. See CRS Report RS22952, Proxy Voting and Polling in Senate Committee, by Christopher M. Davis.
Author Contact Information
Key Policy Staff
Area of Expertise |
Name |
Agricultural appropriations, USDA budget |
Jim Monke |
Agricultural Marketing Service |
Joel Greene |
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service |
Tadlock Cowan |
Commodity Futures Trading Commission |
Rena Miller |
Conservation |
Megan Stubbs |
Crop insurance |
Randy Schnepf |
Disaster assistance |
Megan Stubbs |
Farm Service Agency |
Jim Monke |
Food and Drug Administration |
Agata Dabrowska |
Food safety, generally |
Renée Johnson |
Food safety, meat and poultry inspection |
Joel Greene |
International food assistance |
Alyssa Casey |
Nutrition and domestic food assistance |
Randy Alison Aussenberg Kara Clifford Billings |
Research and extension |
Genevieve Croft |
Rural development |
Alyssa Casey |
Trade |
Anita Regmi |
1. |
Jurisdiction for CFTC appropriations differs between the chambers. Since FY2008, CFTC is marked up in the Agriculture Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee and in the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The enacted CFTC appropriation is carried in the Agriculture bill in even-numbered fiscal years and in the Financial Services bill in odd-numbered fiscal years. |
2. |
Although the Forest Service is part of USDA, its appropriations jurisdiction is in the Interior Appropriations Act. |
3. |
See CRS In Focus IF11032, Budgetary Decisionmaking in Congress; and CRS Report R44582, Overview of Funding Mechanisms in the Federal Budget Process, and Selected Examples. |
4. |
See CRS Report R42388, The Congressional Appropriations Process: An Introduction. |
5. |
Mandatory spending creates funding stability and consistency compared to annual discretionary appropriations. In agriculture, it originated with farm commodity programs that had uncertain outlays due to weather and markets. |
6. |
See CRS Report 98-560, Baselines and Scorekeeping in the Federal Budget Process. |
7. |
P.L. 115-334 (Agricultural Act of 2018). See CRS Report R45425, Budget Issues That Shaped the 2018 Farm Bill. |
8. |
P.L. 111-296 (Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010). See CRS In Focus IF10266, Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR): An Overview. |
9. |
See CRS Report RS20129, Entitlements and Appropriated Entitlements in the Federal Budget Process. |
10. |
See CRS Report R44606, The Commodity Credit Corporation: In Brief. |
11. |
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), A Budget for a Better America: President's Budget FY 2020. |
12. |
OMB, FY2020 Budget of the U.S. Government, Appendix. |
13. |
USDA, FY2020 USDA Budget Summary; and USDA, FY2020 Budget Explanatory Notes. |
14. |
FDA, FY2020 Justification of Estimates for Appropriations. |
15. |
CFTC, FY2020 President's Budget Request. |
16. |
Farm Credit Administration, FY2020 Proposed Budget and Performance Plan. |
17. |
OMB, FY2020 Budget of the U.S. Government, Major Savings and Reforms. |
18. |
CRS Report R42388, The Congressional Appropriations Process: An Introduction. |
19. |
References to 302(a) and 302(b) are to sections of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. |
20. |
CRS Report R44874, The Budget Control Act: Frequently Asked Questions. |
21. |
CRS Report R42972, Sequestration as a Budget Enforcement Process: Frequently Asked Questions. |
22. |
CRS Insight IN11090, Increasing the BCA Spending Limits: Characteristics of Previously Enacted Legislation. |
23. |
CRS Insight IN11148, The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019: Changes to the BCA and Debt Limit. |
24. |
See the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee website for the bill draft and report draft. |
25. |
House Appropriations Committee, "FY2020 Full Committee Adopted Amendments," June 4, 2019. |
26. |
H.R. 3055 was originally a Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations bill. It became the vehicle for a House minibus and later a Senate minibus. It was also used to carry the second CR without the minibus text. |
27. |
CRS Report R42933, Regular Appropriations Bills: Terms of Initial Consideration and Amendment in the House, FY1996-FY2015. |
28. |
These 14 amendments added $109 million spread across rural broadband, distance learning and telemedicine, dairy innovation, 1890s institutions, geographically disadvantaged farmers, nutrition initiatives, farm-to-school, rural energy, and opioid abuse. They remained budget neutral by reducing (offsetting) seven mostly administrative accounts by $110 million, including the Chief Information Officer (-$52 million), Office of General Counsel (-$30 million), Departmental Administration (-$21 million), Office of Communications (-$3.6 million), Office of the Secretary (-$1 million), Agricultural Marketing Service (-$1 million), and Agriculture Buildings and Facilities (-$1 million). These reductions were about 98% of the committee-proposed amount for the Departmental Administration, 73% of the Office of General Counsel, and 52% of the Chief Information Officer. See Table A-1. |
29. |
See CRS Report R45310, Farm Policy: USDA's 2018 Trade Aid Package. Most of the trade aid announced in 2019 (see CRS Report R45865, Farm Policy: USDA's 2019 Trade Aid Package) is likely to be paid out (outlays) in FY2020 and reimbursed in the FY2021 appropriation after those payments are incorporated into CCC's net realized losses. |
30. |
Senate Appropriations Committee, "FY2020 Agriculture Manager's Package," September 19, 2019. |
31. |
H.R. 3055 was originally a Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations bill. It became the vehicle for a House minibus and later a Senate minibus. It was also used to carry the second CR without the minibus text. |
32. |
These eight amendments added $25 million spread across food insecurity, urban agriculture, equine encephalitis, pet shelter and housing, distance learning and telemedicine, tribal student scholarships, 1890s institutions, and the farm and ranch stress network. They remained budget neutral by reducing (offsetting) three administrative accounts by $26 million, including Agriculture Buildings and Facilities (-$14 million), Chief Financial Officer (-$6 million), and Departmental Administration (-$6 million). These reductions were about 44% of the committee-proposed amount for the Departmental Administration and 27% of the Chief Financial Officer (Table A-1). |
33. |
CRS Report R45982, Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2020 (P.L. 116-59). |
34. |
The legislative vehicle for the second CR was H.R. 3055, which was originally a Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations bill and later became, for agriculture, the vehicle to carry the minibus appropriation bills that were developed in each chamber. The second CR did not include any of the chamber-passed minibus appropriations text. |
35. |
CRS Report R42647, Continuing Resolutions: Overview of Components and Practices. |
36. |
For example, if a CR lasts for three months, then three-twelfths of the previous fiscal year amount may be apportioned to limit agency spending. See OMB, "Apportionment of the Continuing Resolution(s) for Fiscal Year 2020," September 30, 2019, See also CRS Report RL34700, Interim Continuing Resolutions (CRs): Potential Impacts on Agency Operations. |
37. |
The OMB bulletin about implementing CRs (footnote 36) identified the scope of mandatory programs that were included in Section 111 by referencing the conference report for the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (H.Rept. 105-217). These included nearly all of the mandatory agriculture programs: SNAP, child nutrition, CCC, crop insurance, Section 32, and the dairy indemnity program. |
38. |
For more information, see CRS In Focus IF11245, FY2019 Supplemental Appropriations for Agriculture. |
39. |
For more information, see CRS Report R45486, Child Nutrition Programs: Current Issues. |
40. |
For more information, see CRS Insight IN11168, The CCC Anomaly in an FY2020 Continuing Resolution. |
41. |
For more information, see CRS Report R45865, Farm Policy: USDA's 2019 Trade Aid Package. |
42. |
For more information, see CRS In Focus IF11088, 2018 Farm Bill Primer: Hemp Cultivation and Processing. |
43. |
The committee print is a compilation of the text of the act and accompanying explanatory material. There is no conference report or joint explanatory statement of managers due to how the bill was enacted procedurally. In addition to the committee print, an explanatory statement (with the same effect as if it were a joint explanatory statement of a conference committee) was published in the Congressional Record, Book III, December 17, 2019, pages H11061–H11484. |
44. |
The ReConnect Broadband Pilot Program is funded by a direct appropriation in the General Provisions title, and has been augmented in FY2019 and FY2020 by a transfer from the Cushion of Credit account that is available outside the appropriations caps. In FY2020, appropriators are directing $555 million to ReConnect: a $300 million appropriation and $255 million from the Cushion of Credit account (see CRS In Focus IF11262, The ReConnect Broadband Pilot Program). |
45. |
See CRS Report R45310, Farm Policy: USDA's 2018 Trade Aid Package. Most of the trade aid announced in 2019 (see CRS Report R45865, Farm Policy: USDA's 2019 Trade Aid Package) is likely to be paid out (outlays) in FY2020 and reimbursed in the FY2021 appropriation after those payments are incorporated into CCC's net realized losses. |
46. |
See CRS Report RL30240, Congressional Oversight Manual. |
47. |
Because the chamber-passed bills were minibus appropriations, the report language accompanying the Agriculture bills that were reported in each chamber are H.Rept. 116-107 for H.R. 3164, and S.Rept. 116-110 for S. 2522. |
48. |
U.S. Congress, House Committee Print 38-679, January 2020, p. 305. |
49. |
CRS Report R43411, The Budget Control Act of 2011: Legislative Changes to the Law and Their Budgetary Effects. |
50. |
CRS Report R42972, Sequestration as a Budget Enforcement Process: Frequently Asked Questions. |
51. |
CRS Insight IN11148, The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019: Changes to the BCA and Debt Limit. |
52. |
CBO, Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, December 11, 2013, https://www.cbo.gov/publication/44964. |
53. |
CBO, Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, October 28, 2015, https://www.cbo.gov/publication/50938. In addition to extending sequestration and related to mandatory spending in agriculture, crop insurance was used as an additional budgetary offset in BBA 2015. The effect was temporary, however, and the crop insurance reduction was restored. For more background, see the section on crop insurance and the Standard Reinsurance Agreement in CRS Report R44240, Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2016 Appropriations. |
54. |
CBO, Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, February 8, 2018, https://www.cbo.gov/publication/53556. |
55. |
CBO, Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019, July 23, 2019, https://www.cbo.gov/publication/55478. |
56. |
2 U.S.C. §905(h). |
57. |
2 U.S.C. §905(g)(1)(A). |
58. |
2 U.S.C. §905(g)(2). |
59. |
2 U.S.C. §906(j). |
60. |
Some administrative expenses may be subject to sequestration, and therefore programs that are otherwise exempt may have a relatively small sequestration-eligible amount compared to their total budget authority, as shown, for example, in Table C-2 for the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, SNAP, child nutrition programs, and WIC. |
61. |
CRS Report R42050, Budget "Sequestration" and Selected Program Exemptions and Special Rules. |
62. |
CRS In Focus IF11161, 2018 Farm Bill Primer: ARC and PLC Support Programs. |