House Republican appropriators Wednesday proposed deep cuts in many agriculture programs, eliminating the long-standing “climate hubs” at the Agriculture Department and targeting resilience for natural disasters in military and veterans funding.
Annual spending legislation for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 would set discretionary spending at USDA and related agencies at $25.5 billion, which Republican appropriators said would reflect a 4.4 percent decline from this year’s level.
While the proposal would hit certain areas especially hard — such as the climate hubs, conservation and urban agriculture — it would increase spending at the Agricultural Research Service and maintain funding to fight animal and plant pests and diseases at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
The Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee is scheduled to mark up the bill Thursday. Chair Andy Harris (R-Md.) said in a news release that the measure “reflects a clear, conservative commitment to fiscal responsibility while ensuring that America’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities remain a top priority.”
