Biden's USDA Budget Proposal Beefs Up Funding for Climate Goals, Racial Injustice
The Biden administration is out with the fiscal year 2022 budget proposals. With no major cuts across the board, President's Biden's budget proposal would pour money into climate research and analysis, money to switch USDA's vehicle fleet to electric, and money to support climate change tracking within NASS.
Overall, Biden's budget proposal for USDA base discretionary funds amounts to $27.9 billion, a 17% increase from what was enacted for 2021.
Some of the highlights for more climate-related funding within USDA include:
- +$9.1 million for the Climate Change Corps within the Agriculture Secretary's office
- + $5 million for the Office of the Chief Scientist to support the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority, authorized in the Farm Bill
- +$6.6 million for Climate Research and Analysis within the Chief Economist's office
- +$25 million for the transformation of vehicle fleet to passenger motor vehicles and related infrastructure such as working to provide hybrid, alternative, and/or electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure as an interim critical step to meet strategic clean energy goals
- +$4 million within Economic Research Service (ERS) to support climate science activities
- +$21 million for Climate Smart Agriculture within Natural Resources Conservation Service
- +$99 million for clean energy projects under the Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
- +$7 million to National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) for climate change
- Includes $2 million to expand our existing geospatial program to provide more critical information on the impact of extreme weather events
- $5 million to support establishing baseline data for climate change tracking
The budget proposal also includes $5.5 million for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack called Biden's proposal historic, saying the funding will allow USDA to have the tools to address what the administration views as pressing issues.
“The President’s budget gives USDA a new set of tools to address the urgent challenges of our time—racial injustice, a changing climate, and hunger. When we invest fairly and equitably in American families and communities, we lay the foundation for decades of American prosperity."
Vilsack also said the budget submitted by Biden would help get America's economy back on track.
The 2022 FY budget proposal released Friday still needs to be approved by Congress. Washington correspondent Jim Wiesemeyer points out the proposal released by the administration Friday is just a proposal, and rarely will a proposal remain intact as it goes through Congress.
