The House Appropriations Committee passed by voice vote the fiscal year 2017 Agriculture Appropriations Bill. The bill contains $21.3 billion in discretionary spending, which is $451 million less than the fiscal 2016 enacted level and $281 million less than the president’s budget request.
 
AFBF sent a letter to the committee regarding Farm Bureau’s priorities, as well as its opposition to reopening the farm bill through the appropriations process and a handful of amendments.
 
The committee was slated to markup the fiscal 2017 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill on Wednesday. This legislation includes a Farm Bureau-supported provision to block implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Waters of the U.S. rule and prevents EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from narrowing the normal farming exemptions.