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“MOTION TO INSTRUCT CONFEREES ON H.R. 2, AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION ACT OF 2018” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H6493-H6495 on July 18, 2018.
The Department is primarily focused on food nutrition, with assistance programs making up 80 percent of its budget. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the Department implements too many regulations and restrictions and impedes the economy.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
MOTION TO INSTRUCT CONFEREES ON H.R. 2, AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION ACT
OF 2018
Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 2) to provide for the reform and continuation of agricultural and other programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2023, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendment thereto, disagree to the Senate amendment, and request a conference with the Senate thereon.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Mr. PETERSON. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to instruct conferees at the desk.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion.
The Clerk read as follows:
Mr. Peterson moves that the managers on the part of the House at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on Senate amendment to the bill H.R. 2 (an Act to provide for the reform and continuation of agricultural and other programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2023, and for other purposes) be instructed to insist on section 11101 of the House bill (relating to animal disease preparedness and response) with an amendment to section 10417(d)(1)(B) of the Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8316(d)(1)(B)), as proposed to be added to such Act by such section 11101, to strike ``2023'' and insert
``thereafter''.
Mr. PETERSON (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the reading be dispensed with.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Minnesota?
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 7 of rule XXII, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Peterson) and the gentleman from Texas
(Mr. Conaway) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Minnesota.
Mr. PETERSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, we have a lot of anxiety out in the countryside because of trade, because of RFS, because of low prices, and because of weather in my area. What we are trying to do here is avoid another potential problem, and that is what can happen with an animal disease outbreak in this country.
In Minnesota, we suffered the biggest animal disease outbreak we have ever seen in this country when we got avian influenza in our turkey flock. It was devastating. The producers lost $113 million. We lost $3 billion in the country, and we saw the effect of not being prepared.
This isn't just a poultry problem. This also relates to foot-and-
mouth disease, to PEDv, to cattle fever tick that Congressman Vela has informed me about, and to other diseases that present a serious threat for the viability of the livestock operations in the communities and supply chains across the country that depend on them.
In the House bill, we have a provision for $450 million of permanent funding over 5 years for programs, including the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program, and the National Animal Vaccine Bank. The Senate provides an authorization for appropriations, but there is no permanent funding in the Senate bill.
While the appropriations committees deserve credit because they have put some funding into these programs over the years, the problem is that APHIS and the people who deal with this at the State level can't depend on it because you never know what it is going to be from year to year because the appropriators are the ones who have to decide. We want to make this permanent, and we are hoping that the Senate will accede to our ideas.
Animal disease programs are important investments in the health of our Nation's animals, our people, and the security of our food supply. As part of their work on the farm bill, conferees should insist on 10-
year mandatory funding for animal disease preparedness and response programs to provide the certainty for both the farmers, for the consumers, and for the people who deal with this at the regulatory level.
Mr. Speaker, I include my full statement in the Record.
The mood in farm country is bad. It's bad because of the Administration's trade war; it's bad because of declines in farm income; and it's bad because of volatile weather like the floods in the southern part of my district. Farmers and ranchers are staring a historically bad year in the face, and another hit would mean devastation for many of them.
And that's exactly what an animal disease outbreak would cause. Minnesota is the nation's largest producer of turkeys. Following an outbreak of avian influenza in 2013 and 2014, it is estimated that poultry producers in my state lost $113 million in existing production, approximately $3 billion nationally, and it cost taxpayers almost $1 billion.
Hungry consumers are affected too. The price of a dozen eggs in 2015 was double what it was before the outbreak.
This isn't just a poultry problem. Foot and Mouth Disease, PEDv, Cattle Fever Tick and other diseases present a serious threat to the viability of livestock operations and the communities and supply chains across the country that depend on them. Outbreaks mean culling animals and suspending production, and because fewer animals come into processing facilities, layoffs in local communities.
Disease outbreaks also impact farmers who grow feed. One study estimates that a future outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease could cost corn growers $44 billion and soybean growers nearly $25 billion. And there's a national security aspect to animal disease preparedness. The bipartisan Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense found that our current commitment to animal disease outbreaks leaves us vulnerable to attack on our food supply.
If we are serious about addressing these outbreaks, we must invest in preparation and response tools to tackle these diseases early. That level of effort is impossible without long-term funding certainty.
Currently, the House bill provides $450 million in mandatory funding over five years for programs including the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program, and the National Animal Vaccine Bank. The Senate provides an authorization for appropriations, but no mandatory funding. While the Appropriations Committees deserve credit for providing some funding for these programs in their bills, animal health is not a short-term issue or an issue we should short change. APHIS, state officials, and producers need to know that adequate funding for these programs is going to be available for their work to pay off.
Animal disease programs are important investments in the health of our nation's animals, our people, and the security of our food supply. As part of their work on the farm bill, conferees should insist on ten-
year, mandatory funding for Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Programs to provide the certainty that both farmers and consumers need. I am submitting for the Record a letter in support of these provisions from the Animal Agriculture Coalition, which represents livestock producers and animal health professionals nationwide.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the motion to instruct, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the ranking member's motion is very much in the spirit of the House position. I am really appreciative of that. Quite frankly, it makes our bill better.
H.R. 2 makes the historic commitment to protecting our Nation's livestock herd and, frankly, our national security by establishing and funding forward-looking animal health initiatives that address existing and emerging pest and disease threats.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to continuing this discussion in conference, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PETERSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support the motion, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's motion, and I ask Members to support it.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
Without objection, the previous question is ordered on the motion to instruct.
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion to instruct.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. PETERSON. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, this 15-
minute vote on the motion to instruct will be followed by 5-minute votes on:
Suspending the rules and adopting H. Res. 990;
Suspending the rules and passing H.R. 1037;
Ordering the previous question on H. Res. 1001; and
Adopting H. Res. 1001, if ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 392, nays 20, not voting 16, as follows:
YEAS--392
AbrahamAdamsAderholtAguilarAllenAmodeiArringtonBabinBaconBanks (IN)BarlettaBarrBarraganBartonBeattyBeraBergmanBeyerBilirakisBishop (GA)Bishop (MI)Bishop (UT)BlumBlumenauerBlunt RochesterBonamiciBostBoyle, Brendan F.Brady (PA)Brady (TX)Brooks (IN)Brown (MD)Brownley (CA)BuchananBuckBucshonBuddBurgessBustosButterfieldByrneCalvertCapuanoCarbajalCarson (IN)Carter (GA)Carter (TX)CartwrightCastro (TX)ChabotCheneyChu, JudyCicillineClark (MA)Clarke (NY)ClayCleaverCloudClyburnCoffmanCohenColeCollins (GA)Collins (NY)ComerComstockConawayConnollyCookCooperCorreaCostaCostello (PA)CourtneyCramerCrawfordCristCrowleyCuellarCulbersonCummingsCurbelo (FL)CurtisDavidsonDavis (CA)Davis, DannyDavis, RodneyDeFazioDeGetteDelaneyDeLauroDelBeneDemingsDenhamDeSaulnierDesJarlaisDeutchDiaz-BalartDingellDoggettDonovanDoyle, Michael F.DuffyDuncan (TN)DunnEllisonEmmerEngelEshooEspaillatEstes (KS)Esty (CT)EvansFasoFergusonFitzpatrickFleischmannFloresFortenberryFosterFoxxFrankel (FL)FrelinghuysenFudgeGabbardGallagherGallegoGaramendiGianforteGibbsGomezGonzalez (TX)GottheimerGowdyGrangerGraves (GA)Graves (LA)Graves (MO)Green, AlGreen, GeneGrijalvaGrothmanGuthrieGutierrezHandelHarperHartzlerHastingsHeckHensarlingHerrera BeutlerHiggins (LA)Higgins (NY)HillHimesHoldingHollingsworthHoyerHudsonHuffmanHuizengaHultgrenHunterHurdIssaJackson LeeJayapalJeffriesJenkins (KS)Jenkins (WV)Johnson (GA)Johnson (LA)Johnson (OH)Johnson, E. B.Johnson, SamJoyce (OH)KapturKatkoKeatingKelly (IL)Kelly (PA)KennedyKhannaKihuenKildeeKilmerKindKing (IA)King (NY)KinzingerKnightKrishnamoorthiKuster (NH)Kustoff (TN)LaHoodLaMalfaLambLambornLanceLangevinLarsen (WA)Larson (CT)LattaLawrenceLawson (FL)LeeLeskoLevinLewis (GA)Lewis (MN)Lieu, TedLipinskiLoBiondoLoebsackLofgrenLongLoudermilkLoveLowenthalLoweyLucasLuetkemeyerLujan Grisham, M.Lujan, Ben RayLynchMacArthurMaloney, Carolyn B.Maloney, SeanMarchantMarinoMarshallMastMatsuiMcCarthyMcCaulMcCollumMcEachinMcGovernMcHenryMcKinleyMcMorris RodgersMcNerneyMcSallyMeadowsMeeksMengMesserMitchellMoolenaarMooney (WV)MoultonMullinMurphy (FL)NadlerNapolitanoNealNewhouseNoemNolanNorcrossNormanNunesO'HalleranO'RourkeOlsonPalazzoPallonePalmerPanettaPascrellPaulsenPaynePearcePelosiPerlmutterPetersPetersonPingreePittengerPocanPoe (TX)PoliquinPolisPrice (NC)QuigleyRaskinRatcliffeReedReichertRenacciRice (NY)Rice (SC)Roe (TN)Rogers (AL)Rogers (KY)RohrabacherRooney, FrancisRooney, Thomas J.Ros-LehtinenRosenRoskamRossRothfusRouzerRoybal-AllardRoyce (CA)RuizRuppersbergerRushRussellRutherfordRyan (OH)SanchezSarbanesScaliseSchakowskySchiffSchneiderSchraderSchweikertScott (VA)Scott, AustinScott, DavidSensenbrennerSerranoSessionsSewell (AL)Shea-PorterShermanShimkusSimpsonSinemaSiresSmith (MO)Smith (NE)Smith (NJ)Smith (TX)Smith (WA)SmuckerSotoStefanikStewartStiversSuozziSwalwell (CA)TakanoTaylorTenneyThompson (CA)Thompson (MS)Thompson (PA)ThornberryTiptonTitusTonkoTorresTrottTsongasTurnerUptonValadaoVargasVeaseyVelaVelazquezViscloskyWagnerWalbergWaldenWalkerWalorskiWalters, MimiWasserman SchultzWaters, MaxineWatson ColemanWeber (TX)Webster (FL)WelchWenstrupWestermanWilliamsWilson (FL)Wilson (SC)WittmanWomackWoodall YarmuthYoderYohoYoung (AK)Young (IA)Zeldin
NAYS--20
AmashBiggsBratBrooks (AL)GarrettGohmertGosarGriffithHarrisHice, Jody B.JonesJordanKelly (MS)LabradorMassieMcClintockPerryPoseyRokitaSanford
NOT VOTING--16
BassBlackBlackburnCardenasCastor (FL)DeSantisDuncan (SC)GaetzGoodlatteHanabusaMooreRichmondRobyShusterSpeierWalz
{time} 1520
Messrs. BIGGS, LABRADOR, MASSIE, JONES, JODY B. HICE of Georgia, ROKITA, JORDAN, BROOKS of Alabama, BRAT, GOSAR, GARRETT, and KELLY of Mississippi changed their vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
Messrs. DUNCAN of Tennessee, TIPTON, FERGUSON, Mrs. NOEM, Messrs. COOK, SMITH of Texas, and SAM JOHNSON of Texas changed their vote from
``nay'' to ``yea.''
So the motion to instruct conferees was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table
Stated for:
Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 336.
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