I thank Chairman Aderholt, Chairman Frelinghuysen, and Ranking Member Bishop for their work on this bill.
I remain disappointed that we are debating bills without considering a full slate of subcommittee allocations. None of us can accurately judge how well each of these marks fulfills priorities - such as creating jobs, growing the economy, and strengthening our defense - without knowing how they fit into the larger picture.
This is especially concerning when House Republican leadership has announced we will soon consider the Trump rescissions package on the floor that would limit our ability to reinvest in vital bipartisan initiatives.
Failing to have 302(b)s, allowing leadership to dictate a rescissions package without any committee consideration, and not even knowing if any of these bills will be debated individually on the House floor erode any illusion of regular order. We can and must do better.
Turning to the bill before us today, the Fiscal Year 2019 Agriculture bill would maintain a number of important investments that help young people access healthy meals, including WIC, summer EBT, school meals and kitchen equipment grants.
However, it falls short in several areas. While the bill maintains funding for McGovern-Dole, it would cut $216 million from Food for Peace, leading to increased hunger and insecurity around the world.
The bill also fails to meet the growing needs of the FDA, which regulates more than $2.4 trillion worth of products consumed by Americans, including foods, drugs, medical devices, and tobacco. That amounts to Americans spending about 20 cents of every dollar on FDA-regulated goods. The FDA needs robust resources to ensure the safety of Americans, and while this bill would provide a sizeable increase, it still falls $64 million short of the request. It is my hope that these levels can be increased as the process moves forward.
As always, extraneous policy threatens this bill. I continue to be concerned about riders on human embryos as well as the continuation of a government-funded ad campaign to promote GMO products, which are already contained in this bill. And while I recognize Chairman Aderholt for not including harmful riders on e-cigarettes and cigars in the base text, amendments debated today will yet again attempt to weaken FDA’s ability to regulate these products, tying the hands of scientists at FDA, leaving a number of tobacco products on the market without review, and getting more people hooked on nicotine. In short, I fear the bill will only be made worse after today’s amendment debate.
Finally, I’m pleased the Committee has lost its appetite for the Trump administration’s condescending plan to replace about half of SNAP benefits with a box of non-perishable food. It is my hope that our debate today will strengthen, and not weaken, the SNAP program. Thank you.
Source: U.S. Department of HCA
