House Passes Ag Spending Bill, No Anti-Ag Amendments Included

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed six FY23 federal funding bills, including the 2023 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies funding bill on a vote of 220-207. The bill included bipartisan provisions important to agriculture but the Senate has not made any of its proposals yet. National Sorghum Producers reported the bill does provide relief for specialty crop insurance policies, while also offering relief in the absence of any anti-agriculture amendments, often seen during consideration of ag appropriation bills.

One amendment drawing attention directs the Food and Drug Administration to issue long-awaited draft guidance on how the agency approaches plant gene editing, along with reviewing and modernizing its plant biotechnology consultation process. Other items included in the legislation include strengthening the baby formula market, continuing investments for rural broadband and investments to ensure equitable participation in USDA programs.

Read more on the passed bills here.