The House Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee approved its Fiscal 2017 spending bill Wednesday after Democrats identified provisions they may challenge when the measure is marked up next Tuesday by the full House Appropriations Committee. CFTC funding insufficient, say Dems. Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.), the subcommittee’s top Democrat, said he considered the bill a generally balanced bill but said there were still concerns about some areas. He and other Dems want more money for the CFTC given its congressionally mandated jurisdiction is seven times bigger than before Dodd-Frank was adopted. Dems also focus on cigars and GMO education funding. Rep. Nita Lowey of New York, ranking member on the full House Appropriations Committee, cited a policy rider that would prevent the Food and Drug Administration from regulating large and premium cigars as troubling. She also took issue with $3 million in the bill to pay for public outreach and education on the safety of foods with genetically modified ingredients, an effort that would be led by the FDA and USDA. FDA has said genetically modified foods are no different than non-genetically modified foods. But Lowey objected, saying, “The verdict is still out on GMOs.” Overall, the bill would provide: - $934 million for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, which is $36.4 million above the Fiscal 2016 enacted level and $29.6 million above President Obama’s request.
- $1.5 billion for the Farm Service Agency, the same funding level as in Fiscal 2016.
- $2.9 billion for Rural Development’s business and industry; rural water and waste infrastructure projects and rural housing and rental assistance. The overall funding level is $113 million above the 2016 enacted level.
- $1 billion for the Food Safety and Inspection that includes $15.5 million more than in Fiscal 2016.
- $2.85 billion for agricultural research for the Agriculture Research Service and the National Institute for Food and Agriculture, including $375 million for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), a $25 million increase from the Fiscal 2016 enacted level.
- $6.4 billion for the Women, Infants and Children’s supplemental nutrition program, which is the same as in Fiscal 2016.
The bill also contains several policy riders that would: - Continue state waivers that allow school districts to serve foods that are 50% whole grain and be exempted from meal requirements that they serve 100% whole grain foods.
- Continue a provision delaying another reduction in salt levels in school foods scheduled to take effect in 2017 until there is scientific evidence that such a reduction will benefit school-age children.
- Require the FDA to lay the groundwork for incorporating post-market patient experience into its assessments of new drugs and require the agency to establish an expedited review process for certain medical devices.
- Delay the start of FDA menu-labeling requirements, which were required under the 2010 health care overhaul until a year after the agency issues final guidance on the subject.
- Prevent the agency from determining whether foods with the partially hydrogenated oils are unsafe or adulterated.
- Prevent the FDA from imposing regulations on premium cigars.
- Extend a Fiscal 2016 provision to prevent the FDA from allowing research into drugs that involve the creation or modification of a human embryo with a genetically heritable condition.
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