▶ 0:11:04I want to welcome everybody to our fourth full committee markup for fiscal year 2027, covering the agriculture, rural development, food and drug administration, and related agencies bill. Um, the just quickly, we're not exactly sure what votes will be today exactly what's coming when. So obviously we'll break for votes. I would just and we'll try to give you enough time to get down there. Uh, I would just ask that you come back.
▶ 0:11:33It's my understanding potentially as early as 1030, we might have our first, then another one around four, then maybe late tonight. We the intent will be to get this bill done today. I really want to congratulate all of you on both sides of the aisle for moving expeditiously yesterday. I really, really appreciate it. Um, and again, I have no problem with amendments and discussions and opening statements. That's an important part of the process.
▶ 0:12:01But, uh, you all made your points and we were able to move along pretty quickly. But again, the aim will be to get this done today. Um, I'll, uh, now again, uh, we'll begin the first order of business today is consideration of the ag rural development, food and drug administration. I'll now recognize chairman harris to present the bill. >> thank you, chairman cole.
▶ 0:12:30And I want to commend your leadership in moving the fy 27 appropriations process forward expeditiously. I also want to recognize the ranking member of the full committee, miss delauro, and the ranking, uh, subcommittee member, Mr. bishop, for their work in getting us to this point. I appreciate the conversations Mr. bishop and I have had. And while we may not agree on everything in the bill, I know we are closer to agreement than some of today's debate may show. For fy 27, the agriculture, rural development, food and drug administration and related agencies subcommittees.
▶ 0:12:58Discretionary allocation is 26.27 billion, a 380 million, or 1.4% decrease from fy 26 enacted levels. In a setting of $2 trillion deficits, these modest spending reductions are necessary. This legislation reflects a clear conservative commitment to fiscal responsibility while ensuring that america's farmers, ranchers and rural communities remain a top priority and that all americans have access to a safe food and drug supply.
▶ 0:13:26This legislation builds on the successful efforts of the trump administration to root out fraud, waste and abuse, shrink the federal bureaucracy, and make usda programs more farmer friendly. It sets usda on a responsible and sustainable spending path that will make both the department and our nation stronger under president trump and secretary rollins leadership, every taxpayer dollar will be spent in the pursuit of putting all american farmers and ranchers first.
▶ 0:13:54I'd like to highlight a few areas where this legislation supports the administration's efforts to refocus the department on its core mission by prioritizing essential functions in a fiscally responsible manner. The bill provides $1.16 billion for the animal and plant health inspection service, aphis, to support the department's efforts to protect our producers from high path avian influenza, new world screwworm, and other foreign plant and animal diseases.
▶ 0:14:22The legislation continues to invest in the delivery of farm programs, disaster assistance and crop insurance to farmers by prioritizing funding for farmer facing functions. Following the budget request, the bill moves $50 million of farm service agency. It funds from fsa to the office of the chief information officer to continue to invest in and implement usda's one farmer, one file initiative.
▶ 0:14:49After accounting for this transfer of funds, the bill increases overall funding for fsa staff, including for county office staff. The bill provides $8 billion for wick, 4% higher than last year's mark, and allows participants to purchase fresh frozen, canned and dried fruits and vegetables, making all affordable options available.
▶ 0:15:12The bill provides important investments in critical agricultural research that will keep our producers on the cutting edge of technology and production practices. We maintain funding for usda's flagship competitive grant program, the agriculture and food research initiative, and protect capacity funding for our land grant universities to ensure that our farmers and ag workforce remain competitive with china.
▶ 0:15:37This legislation continues to fund vital rural development programs, including critical infrastructure, investments in water and wastewater systems and housing programs, as well as increasing the loan authority for the business and industry and rural electric programs due to increased demand for the food and drug administration. The bill provides 3.36 billion in direct appropriations and with increased user fees.
▶ 0:16:02Fda has a total budget of 7.1 billion to enable the agency to keep food, drugs and medical devices safe and effective, as well as advancing the make america healthy again initiatives highlighted in the president's budget. I believe credible evaluation of this legislation will conclude that it balances the funding needs of the usda, fda, and cftc while being responsible stewards of our constituents hard earned tax dollars. As Mr.
▶ 0:16:30Bishop has said, this is a good faith effort to meet the moment, and there are critical things that do warrant support. We want to keep working with the minority as we move this bill forward through the process. In conclusion, I want to thank the staff of the subcommittee for their efforts. Pam miller, elizabeth dent, judd gardner, nick salinger, sykes connell, as well as martha foley, alex swan, and marie gualtieri on the minority staff.
▶ 0:16:58I look forward to working with all of you as the bill moves forward, and I ask for your support for this legislation. Mr. chairman, I yield back. >> thank the gentleman for his remarks. I'd now like to recognize my good friend, Mr. bishop from georgia for remarks on the bill. Thank you very much, Mr. chairman, and good morning. Thank you, ranking member delauro. My counterpart, doctor harris, and our respective staffs.
▶ 0:17:27Let me thank you all for the hard work and your cooperation. Uh, we've had an opportunity to chat a number of times with chairman harris. Uh, and while we have not necessarily come to agreement on all things, I think this is a good faith effort. Uh, the agriculture, rural development, fda, and related agencies bill is of vital importance to our farmers and our rural communities across our nation.
▶ 0:17:54The programs and the workers that we fund through this bill affect the lives of every single american every single day. It's about the food our families eat, the support of our rural communities, our entrepreneurs and agricultural producers. It's about the safety of our medicine and cutting edge research needed to ensure that america will continue to produce the highest quality, the safest and most abundant and affordable food and fiber anywhere in the world.
▶ 0:18:25Today, we are marking up the fy 27 bill, and we must take this opportunity to improve it so that it actually meets the needs of our country's agricultural producers and our rural neighbors. The bill does continue 2026 funding levels for all of the rural housing programs.
▶ 0:18:45It maintains funding for low income seniors in the commodity food supplemental program, and it serves our strategic interests around the world by keeping the mcgovern-dole program intact. It also provides flexibility for rural electric programing.
▶ 0:19:03However, all of this is overshadowed by the devastating and unfortunate cuts to usda programs and staff that will hurt american children, attack our freedom to drink clean water, to eat safe food, and to preserve U.S. farms. The fy 27 bill before us today drastically cuts fruit and vegetable benefits for over 5 million hungry women, infants, and children.
▶ 0:19:32And it reduces funding for emergency food assistance. It eliminates the healthy food financing initiative, and it fails to help school districts with the equipment needed to cook real food to meet the dietary guidelines. The bill also provides $200 million less in new funds for wick than the fy 26 bill.
▶ 0:19:57That means that 95,000 more women, infants and children will go hungry. In doctor harris's home state of maryland. Chairman cole. This means that 56000 women, infants and children are going without fruit and vegetables in oklahoma, an hour. Represented on the committee by miss henson. That's another 48,000 across the chattahoochee river from me in alabama, represented on this committee by Mr. strong and Mr.
▶ 0:20:28Aderholt. That 85000 women, infants and children losing access to affordable, healthy food. We have several members on the committee from florida. Yet if they support this bill today, that means 330,000 of the most vulnerable floridians are going to go hungry. In my own state of georgia, and I'm joined on this committee by my colleague, Mr.
▶ 0:20:51Clyde, 185,000 women, infants and children are left asking, how on earth does ending that access to healthy food help make america healthy again? And that's just a snapshot from a few states. Every state is going to see more women, infants and children going without the fresh fruit and vegetables that doctor harris says that he wants to promote.
▶ 0:21:19If wick remains underfunded as it is today in this bill, we will turn away eligible families for the first time in three decades. Unfortunately, american taxpayers have spent billions of dollars a day on an unauthorized war with no end in sight for nearly two months. In just one week of this war, iran could fully fund wick.
▶ 0:21:44For the whole year, ag producers and rural america need our help now more than ever. Yet this bill cuts staff at the agencies that our farmers and ranchers rely on most. The farm service agency, rural development, uh c s when it comes to agricultural production, growers know that you have to make hay while the sun shines.
▶ 0:22:10But my constituents and I would bet most of yours too, are driving further and taking more time to catch the usda office open on a day when it's open. They face delayed payments, reduced technical assistance, and loss of services from programs. As this administration tells us, they can do more with less. That's just not true.
▶ 0:22:32American farmers need usda resources now, and this bill turns away from our responsibility for making sure usda staff is available and ready with the expertise to help them. This bill also cuts water and wastewater grants nearly in half for the smallest and poorest rural communities in yours and my districts.
▶ 0:22:55We have rural neighbors living with clay pipes and without access to sewer service. This makes no sense. Clean water and working wastewater systems are basic human need, not a privilege. Businesses will only set up shop when there's access to clean water. This is a quality of life issue and a job creation issue.
▶ 0:23:21My colleagues across the aisle seemed obsessed with the border in november of 2024, but will not provide the basic utilities that texas border residents, american citizens need. Colonias often lack running water. They have substandard housing and rely on failing septic tanks.
▶ 0:23:45Yet this bill cuts water and wastewater funding to these neighborhoods, as well as neighborhoods in alaska and hawaii. Unfortunately, in this fy 27 bill, rural broadband is cut by 20%. Rural business development is cut by almost 30%, and rural energy programs are cut by 50%.
▶ 0:24:10I'm also disappointed that the majority is once again offering caustic writers that distract the committee from the mission at hand to invest in our hardworking ag producers, support america's rural communities, and ensure the timely review and safety of the medicine that families need. While this bill largely rejects the disastrous cuts and, in some cases, program eliminations that were proposed by the white house, we can and must do better.
▶ 0:24:38Let's make sure that we don't leave our constituents behind, especially as they face higher costs for food, for fuel and everything else in this trump economy. Now is our time to make this bill great again, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on the committee, as well as the house and senate, to do so. And with that, I yield back, Mr. chairman. >> thank the gentleman.
▶ 0:25:07I now recognize myself for remarks on the bill. Thank you, chairman harris, and thank you. Ranking member, bishop and ranking member delauro and, frankly, all the members on both sides of the aisle on both the subcommittee and full committee. As we start today's full committee markup, I'm reminded that america's farmers and ranchers were already in the fields long before we walked into this hearing room, planting, tending, and caring. The responsibility that keeps this country fed and moving forward.
▶ 0:25:37Our fiscal year 2027 agriculture, rural development, food and drug administration and related agencies bill reflects the same focus doing the work, meeting real needs and delivering where it counts. The measure supports farmers, ranchers and rural communities and reinforces research to keep the united states competitive. It invests in food safety through important inspection resources and ensuring american agriculture is protected from foreign pests and diseases.
▶ 0:26:05And we make sure buy american isn't just a slogan. Through policies prioritizing products produced right here at home, this bill centers on the health and well-being of americans. It strengthens rural development, protects nutrition access, and upholds the reliability of essential food and medical systems. It also further steps.
▶ 0:26:29It also takes further steps to safeguard american interests by strengthening guardrails of foreign purchases over agricultural purchases and enhancing oversight of overseas drug manufacturing, protecting our land and ensuring greater security across the supply chain. We depend on our common sense priorities. We can all share.
▶ 0:26:51Further, it shifts the focus from spending more to spending smart, eliminating inefficiencies, ending biden era regulation, and holding every dollar to a higher standard. This measure is rooted in the people it serves america's producers, consumers, and communities. When we strengthen agriculture and protect public health, we ensure the long term prosperity our country depends upon.
▶ 0:27:16I want to thank chairman harris for his leadership and work in drafting this vital legislation, and I appreciate the partnership of ranking bishop and ranking member bishop, uh, as well, again, as majority and majority minority staff. I look forward to adding to our total of bills reported out of the full committee, and I urge support for today's measure. With that, I yield back.
▶ 0:27:40It's now my pleasure to recognize, to recognize my very good friend, the ranking member of the full committee, Mr. law of connecticut, for opening remarks. >> good morning to everyone. Good morning, chairman. Thank you. I want to say a thank you to you, doctor harrison, ranking member.
▶ 0:27:58Bishop, I also want to say a thank you to the subcommittee staff, to martha foley, alex swan, marie gualtieri on the minority side and their counterparts on the majority, pam miller, elizabeth dent, judd gardner and nick selinger as well for their work. I rise in opposition to the bill before us today. It will increase costs for american farmers, decrease aid for working families and scale back our support for rural communities.
▶ 0:28:26In 2025, nearly 7 million women, children and infants received support through grocery vouchers provided under the wick program. These are families who struggle to put food on the table, who are just trying to keep their heads above water as a cost of living, and their grocery bills keep rising. This bill makes substantial cuts to this assistance. And by the way, there's an overall $200 million below 2026 to the wick program.
▶ 0:28:53This bill makes cuts specifically to the vouchers for fruits and vegetables, denying women, infants and children access to fruits and vegetables is hardly a way to make america healthy again. In addition to providing assistance for families who need it, we support the farmers and grocers who grow and sell their produce. These vouchers can be used to. By cutting back on. This, aid will have a cascading economic effect that will reverberate throughout our communities. Wick works.
▶ 0:29:22Multiple studies have found that wick participation reduces the risk of adverse birth outcomes, like premature birth or low birth weight, and it lowers infant mortality, and that it leads to healthier overall diets for young children. Yet this bill would prevent participants from enrolling or recertifying in the program remotely. I think this is the 21st century. I can do this remotely by failing to extend this option beyond the september 30th, 2026 deadline.
▶ 0:29:54This option has proven to be critical in allowing more americans to access these benefits, allowing working people to avoid transportation barriers and time off work in some rural areas of the country, including. And that is including many states with republican members of congress. There is not a readily accessible wick clinic where individuals can go to enroll in person.
▶ 0:30:19Virtual recertification is a proven process that eliminates these barriers to access for many people, allowing more efficient use of taxpayer dollars and making sure that people can put food on the table while maintaining the program's integrity. The american people deserve programs that work to support them and do not impose unnecessary burdens. I don't understand why people cannot certify online.
▶ 0:30:45This bill cuts the food for peace program by $300 million, a 25% cut compared to 2026. This not only deprives farmers of the additional revenue they can earn when they grow food to support the program, but it denies hungry children around the globe access to assistance they desperately need. My faith reminds me in the 25th chapter of matthew and I quote, for I was hungry and you gave me food.
▶ 0:31:15I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I can also quote leviticus. Just set aside a share of the harvest for the poor. This bill turns a blind eye to our brothers and sisters who are suffering. And for what purpose? More than 2.2 million americans do not have access to basic plumbing and running water in their homes. And this problem is more pronounced in rural communities.
▶ 0:31:38Yet this bill proposes cutting grant funding for waste and water development programs in rural communities by $62 million. Rather than alleviate the problem, the bill before us makes it worse, leaving more americans without access to the basic necessities of life. We should all expect in the. In the united states, the bill scales back loans under the rural energy for america program by 50% while eliminating all grant funding.
▶ 0:32:07This program was created to help bring down energy costs for farmers, small business, rural communities. More than 25,000 projects have been funded through the program, helping people across all 50 states reduce their energy costs, and over two thirds of grants have gone to republican led districts. More than 25% of all reap grant funding has gone to just 20 congressional districts.
▶ 0:32:2918 of those districts are represented by republicans, including all of the top five highest reap grant recipients. Iowa second district, now represented by representative ashley hinson, has received the most reap funding at more than $50 million. Minnesota's seventh district received the second most funding at more than $47 million. Minnesota seven is represented by michelle fischbach.
▶ 0:32:58Iowa's fourth district has received the third most funding, with more than $40 million total. Iowa's fourth is represented by represented representative randy feenstra in 2025. Out of the 2200 plus reap awards, 752 for $372 million went to republican districts. By contrast, only 465 went to democratic districts for $169 million.
▶ 0:33:27Despite this, the republican bill we consider today decimates the program. It raises energy costs for their own constituents all across the country. This bill cuts funding for reconnect broadband, a program designed to expand internet access in rural communities by 20%. Broadband access is not a luxury. It is a necessity. Today. It drives economic growth. It connects people to a wider community, including jobs and career training.
▶ 0:33:53It improves access to medical care, which is crucial when the nearest medical center may be an hour's drive away or more, it expands educational opportunities, helping to ensure every child is equipped to succeed in the economy of the future. This bill does nothing to further protect our infants and better ensure infant formula safety, even in the wake of the by heart botulism outbreak that took regulators and parents by surprise just a few short months ago, this bill leaves behind specialty crops, families, small farmers while
▶ 0:34:23Doing nothing to tackle tackle the big agribusinesses that terrorize our farm economy. Increased costs for the american consumer. I find it troubling as well that this bill does nothing to recognize the essential role that fda plays in the vaccine review process for approval and use by americans. Prior to this administration, fda followed longstanding good guidance practices related to vaccines, assessed scientific evidence and transparent manner, and adhered to the principles required by the federal advisory committee act.
▶ 0:34:52Earlier this year, the fda refused to even review a flu vaccine developing develop using mrna, which secretary kennedy has crusaded against for years because it was used to develop the covid 19 vaccines. The fda. Fda later reversed course only after facing a substantial backlash from the medical community and the public at large.
▶ 0:35:15Last week, the fda refused to approve a drug for advanced skin cancer, which secretary kennedy personally opposes. Despite numerous cancer doctors attesting to the effectiveness of the treatment, fda has been the gold standard for drug safety and efficacy. I have serious concerns that under this administration, is less focused on proven treatments and more attentive to secretary kennedy's personal opinions. Lastly, the bill includes a litany of partizan policy writers.
▶ 0:35:41It eliminates protections for small meat and poultry producers, a gift to larger corporate competitors, which the american farm bureau is opposed to. It would encourage americans to eat raw eggs that have not been properly stored or refrigerated, which increases the risk of foodborne illness. I don't understand the obsession among some of my friends across the aisle with giving themselves food poisoning as an expression of individual liberty, but to each their own, I suppose.
▶ 0:36:06And lastly, the bill also brings up partizan culture wars in its current form. The bill raises costs for american farmers, takes food away from hungry families, cuts off support for rural communities, loudly bangs a divisive culture war drums. Once again, I encourage my colleagues to oppose the legislation. Work with democrats. Let's work together to fix the many serious problems it contains. Thank you, and I yield back. Thank you, Mr. chairman, for the extra time. >> thank gentlelady for her remarks.
▶ 0:36:33Uh, obviously, as you can see, we have started voting, but we want to go as far as we can into the individual remarks and responses on the bill. So we'll just keep a sharp eye on the clock. I would ask once you go down to vote, when we're done, you come back as quickly as we can so we can resume wherever we stop. And I would ask those that are speaking to try and stay within the time limits if you can.
▶ 0:36:56It was always going to be generous with the clock, but obviously we want to get as much of this done before we have to vote as possible. With that, the chair recognizes the gentleman from michigan, Mr. molinari, for remarks on the bill. Mr. chairman. >> I rise in. >> support of the fiscal year 27 agricultural rural development and fda appropriations bill.
▶ 0:37:16This bill provides the department of agriculture with the funding it needs to support our farmers, invest in important research, and provides ample resources to get american products to new markets. Importantly, it protects our farmland and food security from foreign adversaries like china. This bill is also an investment in rural america.
▶ 0:37:39It provides robust funding for community facilities, housing and vital communications infrastructure that will help rural communities like mine thrive. This bill fulfills president trump's promise to american farmers and rural communities, and I thank chairman harris for his leadership in crafting this bill, and I urge all my colleagues to support it. And with that, I yield back. >> thank the gentleman for his remarks. Gentlelady from ohio. Miss kaptur is recognized for remarks on the bill. >> thank you.
▶ 0:38:08Chairman, ranking member. Delauro. Chairman harris, ranking member. Bishop, thank you all for bringing us together under regular order to consider this bill. Us agriculture impacts every american. Uh, and actually is the lifeblood of each of us and of all the individuals we represent.
▶ 0:38:27Uh, we look across our country and we see farmers, ranchers, urban growers now and our rural producers who serve americans all the way from our heartland, which I represent, and coast to coast. This legislation is important.
▶ 0:38:43Whether you live in a city or on farmland, it funds the programs that keep our food and agricultural supply chains functioning for the american people, and also with exports adding additional, uh, economic growth to our farmers and agricultural communities. A sector that supports roughly one fifth of our nation's economic activity and about 1.5 trillion of our gdp. That's pretty good.
▶ 0:39:11Put simply, investing in american agriculture is food security for our own people, but it's also investing in our national and economic security, the share of our economy represented by domestic agriculture, unfortunately, has declined. While imports of foreign produced food have risen. Every imported food. Guess what? We can grow and produce here. And it's a lost opportunity for america.
▶ 0:39:36I want to thank, uh, chairman harris for his sensitivity to this issue of the displacement of imports with us produced product, because what america makes and grows, makes and grows america. With that in mind, I want to highlight several areas of this bill that fall short for my constituents in northwestern ohio and for rural communities across our country.
▶ 0:39:59First, the rising cost of everything everyday americans, including our neighbors and the farmers I represent in northwest ohio, are struggling to make ends meet. Farmers margins are razor thin. They are facing drought tariffs, escalating input costs driven by global instability due to the president's war of choice and unresolved issues like permanent extension of year round e15 sales. Frankly, I want to go to e30e60. Uh, brazil's doing that.
▶ 0:40:29We got a long way to go, but half our income in, uh, field production in corn and soy now goes into fuels. Without that, these farmers would be bankrupt. And america needs to understand that this bill does not do enough to help them. It cuts in half the loan guarantees under the rural energy for america program, known as reap. And I'm also deeply concerned about the 60% cut a $3 million reduction to the usda office of urban agriculture and innovative production.
▶ 0:40:57Frankly, we have four season houses in our area raising fruits and vegetables to displace imports. You have to recognize the new american agriculture that is rising around us. Fertilizer and energy costs have nearly doubled for greenhouses, and I represent one of the largest, if not the largest, greenhouse landscape capital of the united states, home to the warmest coast of the great lakes, lake erie, south shore, and the fertile soils, what was called the great black swamp.
▶ 0:41:22We have enormous potential, but greenhouses cannot survive or expand when energy costs literally strangle them, cutting the. One usda office dedicated to urban agriculture undermines efforts to diversify production, strengthen local supply chains, catch up with where science is leading us, and build the next generation of american growers. Second, we must rebuild local and regional food systems.
▶ 0:41:48This bill eliminates funding for the agriculture marketing services micro grants for food security program, which helps communities grow food through small scale gardening that they can increase herding and livestock operations. It also reduces funding for the healthy food financing initiative, which helps retailers overcome barriers to serving rural and low income communities.
▶ 0:42:10And as many dear colleagues know, I am laser focused on connecting producers with local food school programs so our children can access more locally grown fruits, vegetables, grains, and other food, milk and other locally produced food. But cost is a major barrier. School meal reimbursement rates need to reflect inflation, supply chain pressures and labor costs. Students, by the way, don't like the food they're eating in the schools.
▶ 0:42:38Just ask your kids when you go out into the schools, america has to do better. Schools also need more kitchen capacity for scratch cooking, especially in rural america. Yet this bill cuts school breakfast equipment grants by 50% or $5 million. Uh, third, we must invest in the future. Research funding is essential to countering pests, invasive species, and threats to soil and plant health.
▶ 0:43:01Yet this bill cuts nifa research equipment grants by $3 million and reduces the sustainable agriculture research and education program by 17%, or $8 million. These cuts slow, farmer driven research and hinder efforts to protect working lands and watersheds, including the largest watershed in the entire great lakes, which I have the privilege of representing the western lake erie basin. In closing, Mr.
▶ 0:43:29Chairman, I recognize we face tough choices, and these are finite resources. While this bill certainly improves on the president's budget, it still falls short. It needs amendment. But where the president shortchanges farmers in rural communities, this committee has the responsibility to make up the difference because protecting their interests is protecting the nation's interest. If the president can direct $40 billion of U.S.
▶ 0:43:52Taxpayer funds around the world, including 20 billion to argentina, uh, to foreign cattle producers, surely congress can find a fraction of that amount to invest in america's cattlemen and in the energy savings, local food systems and research programs that I've highlighted that this bill cuts. I hope we can work together to address these shortcomings. Let's at least level fund the programs that help farmers in rural communities manage rising energy costs, strengthen local and regional food systems, and support farmer driven research that protects our soils, watersheds, and the future.
▶ 0:44:23Because when we do so, we innovate and increase the percent of our gdp and nation's economic activity from the food and agricultural sector. Thank you for your attention. Because what america makes and grows, makes, and grows america, I yield back. >> thank the gentlelady for comments. Gentlelady from iowa. Miss hanson is recognized to address the bill. >> Mr. chairman, I rise today in support of the fiscal year 27 ag appropriations bill.
▶ 0:44:51This bill takes important steps to modernize our usda operations, improving customer service for our farmers and ranchers while making the most efficient use of taxpayer dollars possible. I'm proud that this bill includes $50 million for the usda chief information officer to help support it improvements at our farm service agency, including the one farmer, one file initiative.
▶ 0:45:15Fsa local offices play an incredibly important role in connecting our farmers with usda programs, and this effort will help farmers access those federal resources that they need and trust. This bill also maintains language to protect our national security against foreign adversaries, adding the secretary of agriculture to cfius and including my language, to secure our food and ag supply chains from countries like china.
▶ 0:45:40We're also making some targeted investments in food and ag research, providing funding to support discoveries that give our producers a competitive edge in the global marketplace. Our bill also does support our most vulnerable population, babies through ensuring that foreign infant formula factories are held to the same standard as american factories, and this also protects the U.S. infant formula supply chain.
▶ 0:46:04And finally, the bill includes my language to help improve price transparency for fertilizer and to lower the cost of inputs that our producers in iowa rely on. So in short, this bill is responsible. It respects taxpayers while still making those targeted investments in agriculture to support our producers and our growers. So thank you, Mr. chairman, for your work on this, and I yield back. >> I thank thank gentlelady for making her point so concisely. Uh, absolutely. She ought to applaud her.
▶ 0:46:34Uh, but you can applaud speakers on both sides here. Uh, next, recognize my good friend from minnesota, gentlelady miss mccollum, for remarks on the bill. >> thank you, Mr. chair. >> I rise in opposition to the bill before us. Last year, republicans and president trump forced through their incredibly unpopular big, beautiful bill, which cut millions of americans from food assistance benefits. This year's agriculture appropriations bill. The snap is no different. Continuing a $6 billion cut to snap.
▶ 0:47:04Now, minnesota administers snap at the county levels. And many of us in this room do exactly that on both sides of the aisle. The counties are being asked. Well, I should say they're being forced to modernize their enrollment systems to comply with new federal standards. Because of this, some of our counties are now facing unfunded mandates that carry steep penalties that the counties cannot afford.
▶ 0:47:28The bill does nothing to solve the catastrophic problem that will go into effect later this year for our counties. This bill also presents a problem with its failure to fully fund the special supplement nutrition program for women, infants and children as wick. With this funding level, young children and pregnant women who are eligible to receive nutritious food through wick will not receive the assistance for which they are entitled.
▶ 0:47:57Many of you might not be aware of the healthy food financing initiative, which provides funding to improve access to healthy, fresh foods. While that's eliminated, to take these cuts together to nutrition services, and it will impact all of our districts. Everyone's paying more for gas, for groceries, for basic needs. This bill will even be more burdensome to our families who deserve assistance. Some people might find it odd. I hear that sometimes on the floor that someone from saint paul cares about agriculture, but minnesota's a farm state.
▶ 0:48:27We produce corn, sugar, beets, soy, and we are the country's largest turkey producer. Just ask brad finstad about that. In my district, we have some amazing apple orchards, organic farms, heritage, animal production, and small agriculture is very important to our community.
▶ 0:48:47My district also has the university of minnesota saint paul campus, which is vital to agricultural research programs like cereal disease lab, conduct research, protect corn, barley, wheat, and more. If you have these crops in your state, we're doing the research to protect them. In my district, the university's veterinary program is also in saint paul, training the future workforce that cares for animals, large and small.
▶ 0:49:16Agricultural research is vital for our food security, for our economic security. And I'm going to continue to fighting for increases in those programs. Rural minnesota is, uh, we're one minnesota. And so when the rural minnesota is harmed by cuts in this bill, like reconnect broadband slashed by 20%, it's a problem for the whole state. And we all clean drinking water. But this bill cuts vital water and waste grants to help rural communities.
▶ 0:49:45An 8% cut also to conservation programs, will limit our farmers ability to implement best practices to conservation, to protect their land and protect all of our water. Bottom line is this bill does not support our farmers enough. It hurts best practices, and it doesn't do anything to help with the affordability of nutrition in my state. With that, I yield back.
▶ 0:50:11>> and I want to thank gentlelady for her precision, her remarks, and staying within time limit. With that, we're, uh, we're getting close enough that I think we'll probably suspend remarks. Uh, then we'll resume. Obviously, we have more speakers, so please come back as quickly as you can. Thank you very much. And the committee stands in recess, subject to call of the chair.
▶ 2:09:55Resume sessions. And let me quickly obviously, we've had some confusion here and some just talked with the ranking member. She's had the facilities, but she said, let's get started. Uh, and we agree with that. Obviously, we're going through opening statements and, uh, we will accommodate as we can there. We're not sure exactly what's happening on the floor, but we think it's going to take a while no matter what, and we might as well resume.
▶ 2:10:19Uh, so I would ask you to, if any of you are in communication with any of our colleagues, just urge them to come on back so we can proceed as normal. And, uh, um, I'm going to give we have several members coming in. Uh, I want to give my friend, the gentlelady from florida, who's been very patient, uh, recognize her to, uh, make comments on the legislation. Gentlelady is recognized. >> thank you, Mr. chairman.
▶ 2:10:45I rise, my friends, to speak in strong opposition to this bill. It doesn't have to be this way, but it is because our farmers, ranchers and growers need help. They face skyrocketing fuel costs, erratic tariffs and global markets, and increasingly extreme storms and droughts. So they need real help right now. Agriculture, as I've reminded my colleagues before, is the number two driver of florida's economy.
▶ 2:11:16And unfortunately, instead of investing in the hardworking people who put food on our table this fy 27 agriculture and fda appropriations bill completely abandons them. It slashes spending by more than $1.1 billion, a 4% cut from last year. Meanwhile, families nationwide still struggle with the cost of groceries, still line up at food banks, and still count on this congress to have their backs. But this bill just deserts them. Let's start with wick.
▶ 2:11:43Last year, it served nearly 7 million new mothers, babies and young children during the most vulnerable moments of their lives. Yet this bill cuts wick by $200 million below 2026 levels. And the pain doesn't stop there. It fails to fully fund the cash value vouchers that allow women and children to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. Think about that. We're telling new mothers that we know you qualify and we know you're eligible, but we're going to shortchange this vital benefit anyway. That's just heartless.
▶ 2:12:13And it's not who we should be as a country. But it gets worse. Snap. The backbone of america's food security infrastructure, takes a $6 billion hit in this bill, and that's a direct consequence of cuts baked into the big, ugly law, which handed working families crumbs just to lavish huge tax breaks on millionaires and billionaires. Yet we know snap is the most effective and efficient anti-hunger program in the federal government. It keeps food on the table for working families, seniors, people with disabilities and children.
▶ 2:12:43Every dollar cut from snap doesn't disappear. It shows up as hunger and the emergency food assistance program that helps stock food banks and pantry shelves is cut by $5 million here. These are the organizations that catch people when they fall, when a job disappears, when a medical bill arrives, when the unexpected happens. All this bill does is make their work harder. Let me turn to food for peace, because this program does something extraordinary. It supports american agriculture by purchasing U.S.
▶ 2:13:13Grown commodities and uses them to fight hunger around the world. It's good for our farmers, good for our standing in the world, and good for all the hungry children that it feeds. But this bill cuts it, guts it by $300 million. Even after this administration already gutted usaid and dismantled the very infrastructure that delivers this food to those who need it most. This isn't fiscal responsibility. This is fiscal negligence of the cruelest kind. Lastly, there's the food and drug administration.
▶ 2:13:41Fda's job is simple keep our food and medicines safe. But this bill cuts fda discretionary funding by $56 million below last year's level. Right? As public health concerns mount around food safety, drug integrity and the slow pace of approvals. The answer to that anxiety is not to defund the agency tasked with protecting us. The answer is to invest in it.
▶ 2:14:03Look, I've heard my colleagues on the other side of the aisle argue that this bill is about fiscal discipline, but discipline without moral direction is just damage, and a budget is a moral document. It reflects what we value, who we fight for and what kind of country we want to be. This bill says that we value painful cuts over our children and farmers. It says we'd rather trim line items than protect a mother's ability to buy fresh vegetables for her kids.
▶ 2:14:31It says that food for peace, a program that both helps american farmers and feeds hungry kids abroad, is expendable. Well, I say it's not. It's not who we are or who we should be. And I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time. >> thank the gentlelady for her remarks. The gentleman from texas, Mr. cuellar, is recognized for remarks on the bill. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member of bishop. And of course, you, Mr. cole, and of course, miss delauro.
▶ 2:15:02And I especially want to thank the committee staff that has worked on both sides very hard on this. I want to I know this is a bill in progress, I understand that, but I want to talk about a couple of provisions that I worked on and funding that are important to my state and my district.
▶ 2:15:18Uh, first of all, I want to thank the committee for the strong investment in cattle health, including the funding to eradicate fever ticks, uh, for livestock and wildlife hosts, uh, the cost share program for the construction and repair of livestock or game fencing on private land is critically important to contain the spread of quarantine areas and for protecting texas ranchers. Uh, thank you for that.
▶ 2:15:46I also want to say thank you for the important steps that we've taken to address the growing threat of the new world. Screwworm by expediting the treatment approvals. Uh, this is a proactive common sense investment on biosecurity. And thank you for that.
▶ 2:16:03Uh, along with that, uh, I want to say thank you for the inclusion of the assessment of the operational capacity for the sterile mexican fruit fly production facility at moore air force base, which is critical, uh, making sure that we do the repairs, the modernization, the full operational capacity to make sure that we protect the specialty areas in our border region.
▶ 2:16:30Along with that, the work that you did for the avian influenza, as you know, we gotta keep the prices of eggs down. And I think this will help us. And I want to thank you for the investment. Uh, also want to thank and I thank, uh, debbie and I and other folks know the support for the citrus greening research, uh, for citrus fruit, uh, along the border and florida and other places.
▶ 2:16:57Uh, for that, uh, the work that you all did, uh, adding money for the, to combat cotton pests, the whitefly, the feral swine to help ensure that farmers can continue to produce the food and the fiber that our country depends on also particularly to the border, the aphis border inspectors play a very important role in protecting our country from invasive pests and diseases.
▶ 2:17:26And their, uh, personnel are so important because they're on the front line to make sure that we protect the united states from those pests and diseases. So make sure that we keep trade flowing, but at the same time, keep those bad pests away. And I appreciate the committee for encouraging usda to exempt border inspectors from any federal hiring freeze that we have. Rural development is another area that's so important. The rural housing.
▶ 2:17:54Uh, I want to thank you for that, especially for the section 504 home repair that is so important for the rural areas across the country itself. So thank you for that. Uh, there's one particular area that has to do with the farm labor housing provisions in the bill. Thank you for addressing that, uh, maintaining that funding and strengthening the program by requiring usda to use data to identify gaps, to direct resources to the highest needs.
▶ 2:18:24This language is important to make sure that we coordinate housing, health care, nutrition programs, and that we recognize that farm workers and my father was a farm worker along with my mother, uh, that we recognize the importance of farm workers to our agricultural economy. And thank you for providing the especially the safe housing and basic services. Uh, the circuit rider program, regional technical assistance.
▶ 2:18:53Thank you for protecting that funding. Uh, the grassroots source water protected program again, is very important. Thank you for protecting that. And finally, one of the things that I also want to mention is the areas of the persistent poverty communities. This is something that, uh, Mr.
▶ 2:19:14Clyburn has been working on for many years, and I certainly want to follow his lead to make sure that we put the funding for the persistent poverty communities, the direction to increase investments and improve accountability of federal resources to reach those underserved areas. And with that, I, I know this is a work in progress, but I do want to thank the chairman, the ranking member of the staff, for the work that you've done in this bill. Thank you. And I yield back, Mr. chairman.
▶ 2:19:43>> thank you, gentlemen, very much for his remarks. The gentleman from washington, Mr. newhouse, is recognized to address the bill. >> well, thank you very much, Mr. chairman. I appreciate you giving me a few minutes to talk about the bill before us. Before I mention some of the important things in there, I want to express my appreciation to chairman harris, ranking member bishop. Uh, but even more importantly, the staff of the subcommittee. You guys do awesome work, and we couldn't do it without you.
▶ 2:20:10Um, the bill before us actually does some really good things. I think some of the things you could call them key investments, which is something I'm interested in. I just want to real quickly highlight a couple of those. First of all, something I've been working on since the day I got here is the issue of the funding for agricultural research, which keeps us as an industry on the cutting edge and, and being able to compete with, uh, other countries around the world.
▶ 2:20:38So I appreciate the increase in funding for that. But also, if you grow things, you got to be able to sell them. So we also maintain a strong support for the agricultural trade programs, which is very important.
▶ 2:20:52And then another thing that's vital to everyone, whether you realize it or not, but we increase the funding for the food safety inspection service, which helps address some of those things like emerging pests and diseases, which helps to protect our food supply so that when you go to the grocery store, there's actually something on the shelves. And then last but not least, generally, this does this bill before us does an awful lot to help.
▶ 2:21:19Um, in so many ways, our specialty crops that are raised throughout the country. And I appreciate the fact that the chairman sees that the importance of that. And we do not leave those specialty crops behind.
▶ 2:21:31And then something that we've talked about many times and that, um, over the last several years, I've been a strong proponent and we maintain in this bill the the capability for the secretary of agriculture to provide oversight of the communist chinese party through, uh, their seat on the cfius board, which is a I hope you guys understand how key that that provision is as we face the threats that the communist
▶ 2:22:02Chinese party poses to the united states in buying our farmland. So, you know, it's said in many, many ways, but agriculture is the backbone of our country. Our farmers feed and fuel and clothe our country. And this, this bill, uh, helps ensure that we show not only show appreciation to the hardworking farmers every day, but they can continue to do that important work. So for those reasons and many, many others, I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
▶ 2:22:31Thank you, Mr. chairman. >> thank the gentleman for his remarks. Gentlelady from maine, miss pingree is recognized to address the bill. >> thank you, Mr. chair. So I have some serious concerns about the funding bill before us today. Unfortunately, I think it takes us in the wrong direction. I'm going to start talking about wick.
▶ 2:22:56We spend a lot of time in this committee talking about healthy food, nutrition, getting more fruits and vegetables into people's diets. This administration has created the maha movement, make america healthy again. But how do we expect to make america healthy if we are cutting the very benefit that helps pregnant women, new moms, babies, and young children access healthy fruits and vegetables? This bill cuts the fruit and vegetable benefit by 10% for the fiscal year 2027.
▶ 2:23:27So let's talk about what that means for women. That means going from $52 a month for fruits and vegetables down to 13 for children, it means going from $26 a month down to ten. That's not a small adjustment. That's a dramatic cut. In maine, we have about 15000 people who participate in wick in a state of only 1.3 million people. That's a lot. And the fruit and vegetable benefit is one of the most used and most redeemed parts of the program.
▶ 2:23:56One wick participant in maine told me told us that because of the current benefit, she was able to buy a bag of cherries for her child for the first time. Before that, when the benefit was lower, bananas were all she could afford. That child had never had cherries, Mr. newhouse before because they were too expensive. That's what this cut means. It means fewer choices, fewer healthy foods, foods. It means a parent standing in a grocery store, deciding what they have to put back.
▶ 2:24:25And again, this is a time when nearly half the children in this country do not eat a vegetable every day. We hear a lot about this usda support of regenerative agriculture, but this bill cuts the very programs that help farmers to do that. It eliminates funding for the usda climate hunts. It cuts sustainable agriculture, research and education, the sare program, by 8 million. It cuts conservation technical assistance by 61 million.
▶ 2:24:54And it cuts the office of urban agriculture, which supports food loss and waste reduction projects and local food systems, by 3 million. Some of the farmers who had their grants cut were told that they were too woke. They were unnecessary. They were political. They were die. They were climate change hoax. But I would say, just talk to those farmers. The farmers in my state are dealing with extreme weather.
▶ 2:25:17The farmers in my state are trying to improve their soil, manage flooding, deal with drought, use cover crops, and make their land more resilient. This is not woke. This is what farming in 2026 looks like. As farmers grapple with the impacts of climate change and rising costs. We are derelict in our duty. If we are not helping farmers meet the challenges that are right there in front of them. At the same time, farmers in maine are struggling with the chaos of this administration's tariff.
▶ 2:25:46I heard from a farmer in brunswick, maine, who was trying to purchase a machine to help with his brussel sprout crop. The machine came from holland, and he had to calculate the daily price of steel just to figure out whether he could afford it. Eventually, he gave up. I heard it from another farmer in unity who's trying to buy equipment to weed potatoes. His tariff bill is 20%. The cost of equipment, plus 50% of the price of aluminum and steel in that equipment.
▶ 2:26:13The dealer does not even know what to charge, because no one knows what the price of the equipment until it arrives. That's the reality that farmers are dealing with right now. You know, we learned a lot during the pandemic. We learned that supply chains were fragile, that buying local matters and that schools, food banks, farmers and families all benefit. When we connect to the local food, we can. When we connect local food to local need, we have programs that did exactly that.
▶ 2:26:40In maine, farms for food equity used a funding to purchase more than 6100 0 pounds of nutritious food from 15 farms in southern maine. That food went to pantries and other food assistance program. Cultivating communities in portland supported fresh, culturally familiar food for limited resource neighbors. These programs help farmers make ends meet, help families eat and kept dollars in local communities. And this is exactly the kind of thing this bill should support. Instead, the bill walks away from them.
▶ 2:27:12Our farmers deserve better. Our rural communities deserve better. Farmers trying to put healthy food on the table deserve better. For that reason, I cannot support this bill. Thank you, and I yield back. >> thank the gentlelady for her remarks. The gentleman from florida, Mr. franklin's recognized to address the bill. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. I rise today in full support of this bill and appreciate all the hard work the committee has put into it.
▶ 2:27:37It reflects a serious effort to prioritize american agriculture, support our producers and ensure that our ag economy remains strong and competitive. For my district in florida, this bill comes at a very critical moment. Earlier this year, our growers were hit by a record freeze devastating citrus, strawberries, blueberries, sweet corn, vegetables and other specialty crops that are vital not only to florida's economy but to the nation's food supply. These are hardworking producers who operate on already very tight margins and face risks that are often outside their control.
▶ 2:28:08This bill takes an important step forward by investing in better tools to manage their risk. It includes direction to develop a temperature and frost index insurance policy for specialty crops, helping ensure that when disaster strikes, growers have a reliable, timely way to recover and keep producing. Just as important, this bill recognizes that federal support only works if it actually is there and able to help distribute the assistance efficiently.
▶ 2:28:32The farm service agency fsa, is the front door for so many of these programs, and too often our farmers are met with understaffed offices and delayed services. This bill pushes back on that trend and establishes a hiring floor for fsa, and provides dedicated funding to bring on new staff, while also ensuring that county offices remain open and accessible to the communities they serve. For states like florida, where specialty crop growers depend heavily on timely assistance, this really matters.
▶ 2:29:01This bill also takes meaningful steps to protect small growers, packers and producers from unnecessary regulatory burden. It includes common sense flexibilities and oversights designed to ensure that costly federal rules like food traceability requirements, are implemented in a way that is workable and not punitive. We should not be putting american producers at a disadvantage, especially when foreign competitors are not held to the same standards. This bill helps strike that balance.
▶ 2:29:29Protecting our food supply while supporting the rural communities that sustain it. Finally, the bill takes important, makes important investments in agricultural research and extension programs, which are critical to the long term success of florida american agriculture. Whether it's advancing ai innovations, greening resistant citrus rootstock, improving automation for fruit and vegetable production, or educating farmers on best practices, these investments ensure that we maintain competitive, resilient and fed.
▶ 2:29:57For florida, that means continued progress in fighting invasive disease, improving yields, and supporting the next generation for family growers. For the country, it means a safer and more plentiful food supply. At the end of the day, this bill reflects what we should be, what should be among the community's the committee's top priorities, supporting the men and women who feed this country. I look forward to working with my colleagues and as we move this bill forward, I yield back. >> thank the gentleman for his remarks.
▶ 2:30:25Gentlelady from california, miss torres is recognized for comments on the bill. >> thank you, chairman and ranking member. I rise in opposition of the bill at home.
▶ 2:30:42I describe the appropriations committee to my constituents as being like the federal government's checkbook or the zelle account for some of our young staff that that the bills that we pass out of this committee reflect the priorities and the need that we have as a nation.
▶ 2:31:01So why are my republican colleagues prioritizing a cruel 200 million cut to the wick program that helps moms and babies access healthy food? Why is it a priority to strip away $140 million in fresh fruit and vegetable benefits from nearly 5.4 million toddlers, preschoolers, and moms?
▶ 2:31:30Wick is not only does not only help moms access free healthy foods, but also supports nursing moms, it provides nutrition, education, and health resources in my district alone, which helps 25,000 moms, babies, and children each month. A constituent, miss martinez, a first time mom from pomona, told me that wick became a lifeline during her pregnancy.
▶ 2:32:02Despite working, she struggled to make ends meet and couldn't afford basic groceries, especially fresh fruits and vegetables. Before we wick, those items were completely out of reach. The cash value benefit changed that, allowing her to finally buy the nutritious produce her body needed during pregnancy.
▶ 2:32:24Fruits and vegetables were often the only foods that she could consume, so the fresh food provided by wick were a true lifeline that helped her survive. The days that she didn't have enough money to buy healthy foods, cutting funding and benefits from wick would hurt so many mothers like miss martinez in the inland empire and across our country.
▶ 2:32:50Why is it that we are okay with a giving a blank check for the war in iran? Why are we okay to give a $40 billion bailout to argentina? Why are we okay to fund a ballroom? Why are we okay to give welfare to the rich corporations, but not okay to for funding wick food.
▶ 2:33:18Food which helps moms and babies survive with the high price of gas, food and basic goods, hunger is already on the rise. That's not just in my district. More low wage workers are lining up at food banks. More people are being laid off. These cuts would force wick to turn away eligible families for the very first time in 30 years.
▶ 2:33:50I urge my colleagues to think through this and to oppose cutting fresh food to toddlers, moms and babies. And I yield back. >> thank the gentlelady, the gentleman from new york, Mr. espaillat, is recognized for comments on the bill. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. chairman.
▶ 2:34:11Um, this farm bill could have presented an opportunity to feed the hungry, uh, in america. Back in my college days, I had, uh, as a professor, um, the late, great michael harrington, who wrote the other america, a book that highlighted hunger and poverty in america.
▶ 2:34:38And it was used as a blueprint by the kennedy administration to fight poverty and hunger across america. And here we are decades and decades later, and hunger still exists in america.
▶ 2:34:56As we give argentina $20 billion, as we propose and are ready to give billionaires in gulf state billions of dollars in currency swap. And yet the american people, many american people, are still hungry. Um, my district has, uh, in the bronx, part of my district.
▶ 2:35:22Uh, there is a significant number of, of people, residents, 104,000 of them, including 30% of which are children rely on nutritional benefit to keep food on the table for their families. These are communities that continually face disinvestment and have been historically underserved. But it's not just my district. Mr. chairman.
▶ 2:35:49If you go to the rural part of america, even as they see the baskets of fruits and vegetables being sent out of their communities, there is hunger there. In many places across america. And here we are cutting snap. Now snap is a just a little bit under $7 a person a day, $7 under $7 a person a day.
▶ 2:36:17That's what food stamps are. And yet we're assaulting that minimum investment. Today's agricultural funding bill in committee and the formula that will be on the floor, represents an opportunity to undo the harm that we have already seen done by the devastating cuts in h.r. One.
▶ 2:36:40And unfortunately, this bill does nothing to address the food deserts that are also rampant across urban and rural america, and takes food out of the mouths of women and children and infants. Uh, so I urge my colleagues to vote in the negative of this bill. Furthermore, Mr.
▶ 2:36:59Chairman, grocery store owners, many of whom see 30, 40, 50% of their business through food stamps, are getting hurt by the cutting food stamps, and they provide jobs. And they were there for us during the pandemic. The bodegas were open during the pandemic, some of them 247, some of their family members died during the pandemic, right.
▶ 2:37:30In urban america, they were the only place you could go to to get food. In the middle of the worst crisis we've seen in our lifetimes, the pandemic. They were there for us. And some of those businesses make 50, 30, 40% of their business comes through the food stamps and the people that go there. And these cuts are devastating. Those small businesses, those bodega owners or grocery store owners in rural and urban settings.
▶ 2:38:02This is not just a new york city story. This is not just an urban narrative. This is across america. And so in a district like mine, 104,000 residents, 30% of which are children, rely on on these nutritional programs. And 1 in 4 black residents face food insecurity.
▶ 2:38:26This is at a time where many in argentina got $20 billion, and where the states in the middle east now that are facing economic trouble because of this war, want a currency swap. They want our money. They want our tax paying money.
▶ 2:38:46And yet we don't want to give a child, a woman, an infant under $7 a day. What can you buy with $7 a day? I don't know, we got a bunch of stuff here. Look, that fruit basket and everything that's on this table that we eat on a daily basis, I'm probably get obese on it. It's over $7 a day.
▶ 2:39:12Clearly over $7 a day. The food that we get in the other room 3 or 4 times a day, when we have one of those hefty meals that we get there individually for us, is over $7 a day. And yet we can't give that to people in urban settings and in rural settings across america. I strongly urge you to vote down this bill.
▶ 2:39:42This bill is un-american, and I yield back. >> thank the gentleman. The gentlelady from nevada, miss lee, is recognized for comments on the bill. >> thank you. Thank you, Mr. chairman. Ranking member and the staff. I rise today in support of the report language, recognizing the state's legal role when it comes to regulating prediction markets.
▶ 2:40:08If you went into prediction market right now, you could bet on who wins a basketball game, who will win the best picture at the oscars next year, who will launch a political campaign, U.S. strikes on iran, or if jesus christ returns before 2027. No matter how you spin it, betting on these outcomes is clearly gambling.
▶ 2:40:36States and tribes, especially in my home state of nevada, have jurisdiction over gaming, but prediction markets are trying to sidestep those regulations. Nevada is known around the world as the world class destination for gaming and entertainment. Our tourism industry was responsible for nearly $100 billion in economic activity.
▶ 2:40:57More than 436,000 jobs, $24.4 billion in wages, and nearly one third of our state's general fund revenue in 2024. The money from gambling licenses and taxes go towards our schools, public safety and essential services across nevada and nevada is the gold standard when it comes to gaming regulation.
▶ 2:41:21Our comprehensive licensing, enforcement and consumer protection systems are designed to specifically address the risks associated with sports betting, and we can't allow large corporations to avoid these regulations, especially when it means they're taking money away from our schools, our police and our communities.
▶ 2:41:45As prediction markets expand and evolve, we must ensure oversight and regulation of such markets that align with established federal, tribal, and state frameworks. State and tribal governments must be actively involved in the conversation when it comes to regulation of prediction. Markets in washington should not steamroll states and tribes and take the side of big corporations who profit from avoiding state laws.
▶ 2:42:10I'm grateful that this bill recognizes state's necessary involvement in the process, and with that, I yield. >> thank the gentlelady for her remarks. The gentleman excuse me, the gentlelady from illinois is recognized for remarks on the bill. >> thank you, Mr. chairman.
▶ 2:42:34I strongly oppose the fiscal year 2027 agriculture, rural development and fda appropriations bill that we're considering today. Once again, republicans are turning their backs on hungry families, rural communities, and public health. Oh, um, this bill raises costs for families, betrays our farmers, threatens food access for hardworking americans, and endangers the health and well-being of our children and communities. This bill leaves the american people behind.
▶ 2:43:05Remember, don't listen to what the republicans say. Watch what they do. Republicans say they want to make america healthy again. But this bill tells a different story. What they are doing is flat funding the wick program even as costs continue to rise. This bill slashes the cash value benefit for fruits and vegetables, snatching healthy foods from the plates of pregnant moms and babies in their most critical years.
▶ 2:43:29If maga republicans had their way, a toddlers fruit and veggie benefit would be lower than it was last year. That means it will be even harder for families to afford groceries. Let's be clear this is not saving money in the long term.
▶ 2:43:46When we deny healthy food to pregnant moms and kids, we increase the risk of preterm birth, developmental delays, and chronic illnesses that results in more hospital visits, higher medicaid costs, and worse outcomes for families. That's not efficient. It's just irresponsible. And it's not just families who suffer. These cuts hit small farmers, too.
▶ 2:44:11The ones without high powered corporate lobbyists, the ones just trying to feed their neighbors and keep their head above water. This is certainly not saving money long term. This is not efficient. And this most certainly is not making america healthy. You don't balance a budget on the backs of babies.
▶ 2:44:33I am also disappointed that this bill does not include full funding for the protecting animals with shelter or paws act, which helps domestic violence survivors and their families find safe, temporary housing for their pets. Despite the limited funding it receives, this program saves lives.
▶ 2:44:49Most domestic violence shelters are not equipped to accommodate pets, but many survivors understandably don't want to leave behind their beloved pets in a violent situation, knowing that abusers often harm pets as punishment. Research shows that when people can't bring their pets with them, they often stay in dangerous situations longer, with tragic consequences.
▶ 2:45:12The manager's amendment restores half of the funding that was cut, but that's only half of what survivors need and deserve from all of us friends. Republicans will say that these are, quote, tough choices, but somehow the tough choices always fall hardest on low income moms and kids, never on the billionaires. And let's not forget the same people claiming fiscal responsibility.
▶ 2:45:41Folks voted for their big ugly bill last year that added $2.4 trillion to the deficit. Republicans say that they all care about farmers, but this bill guts support for small farmers. They all say that they care about families, but they're cutting food for babies. So I'll say it again don't listen to what republicans say. Watch what they do, because what they're doing with this bill is cruel. It's cynical and dangerous.
▶ 2:46:07I urge my colleagues to reject this assault on our families, our farmers, and our future. And I yield back. >> thank the gentlelady, the gentleman from new york, Mr. morelli, is recognized for comments on the bill. >> thanks so much, Mr. chairman. I recognize that for our nation, true long term fiscal security starts with meaningful investments in the food and housing stability of american families.
▶ 2:46:37And a big part of that effort is driven by the work we do right here in this committee and the funds that make these programs possible. Yet, as we did last year, this proposal, this bill, cuts into the very programs that help working families put food on the table. It shortchanges the programs that allow people access to a healthy diet. And while this bill is bad enough on its own, it does not stand alone.
▶ 2:47:01The package comes after my colleagues on the other side of the aisle passed a reconciliation package last year, cutting snap benefits by $187 billion. And as we speak, you are now looking to lock in the billions cut through the three flawed farm bill while openly talking about coming back for more snap cuts and few future reconciliation bills. Yet the attacks on nutrition programs don't end with snap.
▶ 2:47:29The bill also cuts 200 million from wick and fails to fully fund the fruit and vegetable benefit. Under the program, it's estimated that the proposed cuts would take away over $141 million in fruit and vegetable benefits from nearly 5.4 million toddlers, preschoolers and pregnant and postpartum participants. 366,000 participants in my home state of new york. This, quite simply, is an outrage.
▶ 2:47:56The bill cuts other critical programs, including slashing food assistance abroad, reducing investments in rural communities, and cutting the very staff that help farmers access the programs that they depend on. We cannot pretend these are isolated decisions. They are part of a broader, coordinated effort to weaken nutrition programs, first through reconciliation, now through appropriations, and then the farm bill. And let's be clear about the consequences.
▶ 2:48:23When you cut snap, when you underfund whip wick, you are not just trimming a budget, you're taking food off the tables of working families, seniors, and children. And we need to stop pretending these are separate conversations. They are not. They are two sides of the same coin. And that coin is being used to give tax breaks to billionaires.
▶ 2:48:44Instead, we're being asked to accept a bill that moves us backward, one that increases hardship while doing little to address the real economic challenges american families face. So I urge defeat of it, and I if I may also want to raise a narrower issue, um, and also a thank you, uh, to, uh, staff here, I want to share a story about a fifth generation, family owned small business in my district, zweigelt. They make red and white hats and other meat products. They have a 100 year history in my hometown of rochester, new york.
▶ 2:49:17They proudly produce all their products in the state of our state of the art manufacturing facility in rochester, and they make sure anyone buys their products, know it says on labeling made in rochester on their packaging. That was until recently when the united states department of agriculture changed their labeling requirements to no longer allow them to use made in rochester. Why? Because the pigs that are raised in arkansas, probably in Mr. womack's district or someone like that.
▶ 2:49:42So even though every other aspect of manufacturing and producing these are in rochester, because the pigs, which ultimately become hot dogs, um, are, are raised somewhere else, you can't do it. It's mystifying to me that usda is spending their time making marketing decisions that have nothing to do with public health or public safety, uh, that affect companies around the country.
▶ 2:50:05So I do want to thank the majority for including my requested report language to direct the food safety and inspection services to provide technical assistance for small businesses who are struggling to implement these burdensome new requirements for marketing labels. Although I would just assume those marketing label requirements went away altogether. I think this, however, is the first step to ensure small businesses are not heavily impacted by onerous requirements.
▶ 2:50:30But more, more, more needs to be done to ensure these companies aren't thrown into disarray and waste time, energy, money, profits and customers. So again, I want to thank the majority for their help on this and and respecting our request to include this in the report. Uh, with that, I yield back, Mr. chairman. >> thank the gentleman for his remarks. I regret that Mr. womack was not here to defend his pigs, but the gentleman makes a good point.
▶ 2:50:57Uh, gentlelady from pennsylvania, miss dean is recognized for comments on the bill. >> thank you, chairman cole. Chairman harris, ranking member delauro. Ranking member. Bishop. Uh, thank you for this really robust conversation around this markup.
▶ 2:51:20I rise in opposition to the bill, which cuts funding for critical nutrition programs like wick and snap at a time when families across the country are already stretched thin by high food prices and economic uncertainty, challenges only worsened by h.r. One. Snap and wick are not abstract line items in a budget. They are lifelines.
▶ 2:51:41Working families, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities rely on programs like snap to put food on the table each month. I've met with many of my constituents who are in great need and now in greater need as a result of these cuts.
▶ 2:51:58And we've already seen the damage after the big ugly bill cut $187 billion from snap, the largest cut in the program's history, more than 3 million americans lost their benefits. This bill doubles down on that harm. It cuts mandatory snap funding by $6.2 billion, furthering the damage caused by the majority's big ugly bill.
▶ 2:52:24It also cuts $5 billion from snap's contingency reserve, the very funding that proved indispensable during the government shutdown. And then there's wick. The majority is proposing a $200 million cut, jeopardizing access to vital nutrition program support that supports women, new mothers, young children during the most critical stages of development. We should be strengthening these programs, not chipping away at them.
▶ 2:52:51These cuts might look like savings on paper, but in reality, reality they are just shifting costs elsewhere onto families, communities and our health care system. I'm also concerned with the majority's decision to cut funding for the emergency food assistance program by $5 million, despite the president's budget maintaining level funding in recognition of its importance. Why would we cut here?
▶ 2:53:14Tefap provides critical nutrition support for low income individuals and families through the state and local networks that are often the last line of defense against hunger in many communities. At a time when food banks are reporting increasing demand, this cut moves us in the wrong direction. Even a $5 million reduction has real consequences. The president's budget rightly recognized that current funding levels are necessary just to keep pace with demand.
▶ 2:53:42This bill fails to meet that baseline, and instead imposes a cut that will be felt by real people and real families. With that said, I want to point out something I was pleased to see included in the report language related to pfas chemicals in my district and across this country. Our communities are dealing with the toxic legacy of pfas. These forever chemicals persist in our water, soil and in our bodies and bloodstream.
▶ 2:54:11I commend fda's efforts to measure pfas in the american food supply and help states understand whether food grown in contaminated areas, contaminated areas are safe to eat. I also am pleased to see that the bill acknowledges the challenges facing farmers with pfas contaminated soils, and providing funding for research on pfas solutions in our food systems.
▶ 2:54:36This work is more important than ever, given this administration's deregulatory agenda and general affinity for corporations. Still, on balance, while I do see some good things here, like the pfas provisions, I do hope that others will join me in opposing this bill that will hurt american families. Thank you, and I yield back. >> thank the gentlelady for remarks. Gentleman from indiana. Mr. rivera is recognized to address the bill.
▶ 2:55:07>> thank you, chairman. Thank you, ranking member, as we come together to consider the appropriations for the department of agriculture, rural development, food and drug administration, and related agencies. I believe it is important to frame this conversation in the context of the challenges farmers and the community they support and serve are facing today.
▶ 2:55:26Last summer, the republican majority passed legislation that imposed historically devastating cuts to the domestic social programs, namely the supplemental nutrition assistance program, in order to pay for tax cuts to the wealthiest among us. New eligibility requirements for entitlement programs have left working people with limited options while making the cost of living less affordable. This week, the house will also consider the 2026 farm bill.
▶ 2:55:55The farm bill has historically been a bipartisan effort that combines the investments in farming, conservation, nutrition and trade programs that sustain domestic producers and feed families. Regrettably, the legislation we will consider on the floor departs from the tradition that ensures people who need it most do not go hungry for 15 years. As a local elected official, I saw firsthand how the missed, how a missed bill or an inability to buy groceries could impact a household.
▶ 2:56:23I work closely with our local food bank to connect people experiencing food insecurity with benefits such as snap. These dollars allow the state and local government, community organizations and local communities to come together to encourage pathways to economic opportunities and self-sufficiency. The hunger safety net is being held together by an emergency and charitable food organization like the northwest indiana food bank.
▶ 2:56:50These organizations, which rely on the tefap commodities and donated food, are being asked to bear more and more of the burden in addressing food insecurity. Snap not only provides nine meals for every meal an emergency food organization is able to provide, but in an economic multiplier. Local economies rely on snap as a driver of the retail sales and job growth.
▶ 2:57:14To make matters worse, tefap the administrative funds essential funding for safety to the safety store and distribute the food are being decreased in this bill. This program has yet to be fully funded at the authorized level of 100 million. This is unsustainable. Food banks cannot withstand the growing number of food insecurity insecure households without a strong safety net. We must do more to support the domestic, agricultural. And.
▶ 2:57:43This farm bill falls short. This is why, as we consider appropriations for the upcoming fiscal year and the farm bill in this coming days, I urge my colleagues to put the pressing needs of our agricultural industry first and vote no. With that, I yield back. >> thank the gentleman for his remarks. Uh.
▶ 2:58:04Seeing no other members wishing to address the bill, uh, then I would like to recognize chairman harris to offer a manager's amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. I have amendment number one on the desk and ask unanimous consent to consider it read. >> without objection. Reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentleman is recognized to explain his amendment. >> this is the bipartisan manager's amendment, which includes bill and report language additions from members on both sides of the aisle.
▶ 2:58:33I appreciate ranking member bishop working with us on this amendment. Uh, it includes it goes through various things like pet shelter programs, pet food, donor liability relief, uh, water access to colonias, and two other report language amendments on colonias. Uh, so again, I would ask for the support of the committee. Yield back. >> thank the gentleman for his remarks. The gentleman from georgia, Mr. bishop's recognized to address the matter. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. I rise in support of the amendment.
▶ 2:59:02It contains non-controversial technical changes agreed to by both sides. Uh, we worked collaboratively with the chairman, Mr. harris, uh, to try to include, uh, the meaningful discussions that I think that led to good faith efforts to accommodate the requests from the various members on both sides of the aisle. I think it improved the bill, and I thank chairman harris and the staff for their hard work in that.
▶ 2:59:29And I support adoption of amendment and yield back. >> thank the gentleman for his remarks. The gentleman from north carolina, Mr. edwards, is recognized to address the matter. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. On behalf of the farmers in western north carolina, I rise today in strong support of chairman harris's manager's amendment, particularly the provision that prohibits imposing any recipient cost share on the usda specialty crop block grant program for
▶ 3:00:00Districts like mine in western north carolina. This really matters. Specialty crop growers are the backbone of our agricultural economy. From apples and tomatoes to nurseries, christmas trees and other value added producers who keep our rural communities working. There are. These are high value crops, but they also are high cost, and they're high risk.
▶ 3:00:28Growers are already navigating labor shortages, volatile markets and rising input costs. The last thing that they need is a new financial barrier standing between them and the tools that the specialty crop block program provides, a cost share requirement would hit small and midsize farms the hardest. In my district. Many of these operations are family run, multigenerational, and they operate on tight margins.
▶ 3:00:57They don't have grant writing teams or spare capital to meet a match requirement. What they do have is ingenuity and grit and a deep commitment to feeding our communities and strengthening rural economies. This amendment ensures that they can continue accessing the resources congress intended without being priced out.
▶ 3:01:24Chairman harris's provision keeps the programs accessible, keeps it fair, and keeps it focused on supporting the growers who need it the most. For western north carolina's agriculture community and for specialty crop producers across the country, this is the right approach. Thank you, and I urge adoption of this amendment. >> thank the gentleman for his remarks. Gentlelady from florida, miss wasserman schultz is recognized to address the manager's amendment.
▶ 3:01:55>> thank you. >> thank you, thank you, chairman cole. I rise in support of the manager's amendment, which includes key bipartisan wins. I want to specifically thank chairman cole and chairman harris, ranking member delauro and ranking member bishop, for including $1.5 million in funding for the emergency and transitional pet shelter and housing assistance grant program, or the paws program. And I also want to thank representative underwood for her partnership on this incredibly important issue.
▶ 3:02:20I'll point out that in the subcommittee markup, the secretary of agriculture, when I asked her why the administration had proposed to defund the paws program, tried to tell me that the program wasn't in the department of agriculture. And of course, it is in the department of agriculture.
▶ 3:02:40So here we are making sure that we can ensure this vital funding helps women who are domestic violence victims not to be forced to stay with their abusers for fear of them abusing their pets or having to leave their pets behind. This. This bill is commonly referred to as the paws act. It is a lifeline to the countless domestic violence survivors and their pets across the country.
▶ 3:03:07There's no reason why someone should be trapped in an abusive home, because they're afraid of what will happen to their dog or cat if they left. We should not force people to pick between leaving an abusive situation or staying because they are scared the shelter won't let them bring their pet. And this is the reality for many victims of domestic violence. And too often these fears are justified. The studies are bleak.
▶ 3:03:27Up to 50% of women in shelters say their abuser also harmed their pet, and nearly 50% of survivors said they delayed leaving their abuser because they couldn't bring their pets with them. No one should ever have to face that situation. Thankfully, we chose a better path and demonstrated to the american people that politics does not need to get in the way of a proven program that works and save lives. I always enjoy working with chairman harris. We have numerous issues despite, uh, duking it out here occasionally.
▶ 3:03:55We have numerous issues on which we agree and we've been able to partner, and I appreciate his support. The million and a half dollars for the paws act included in help empower victims of domestic violence to leave their abusers and seek safety. >> the gentlelady for comments. Gentleman from california, Mr. valadao, is recognized for comments on the amendment. >> thank you. Chairman.
▶ 3:04:25I'd like to note a provision included in today's manager's amendment which would ensure that a no cost sharing or matching requirements are imposed under the specialty crop block grant program for fiscal year 2027. Specialty crop block grants are an important tool for farmers and producers across the nation. These resources support a wide range of commodities from tree fruits, nuts and legumes, and other specialty crops to help feed families nationwide.
▶ 3:04:53In california's central valley, growers have used these grants to develop innovative irrigation techniques, improve soil management and research new disease and pest control methods. These investments help farmers become more efficient, conserve resources, and stay competitive. Specialty crop block grant block grants are also used to promote commodities both locally and across the country, developing new market channels which increase consumer demand and encourage the consumption of fresh american grown fruits and vegetables.
▶ 3:05:22Specialty crop producers continue to face real challenges, including rising input costs and ongoing labor shortages. As I know from speaking with many of my colleagues who represent specialty crops across the nation, that we must continue to do everything we can to support these farmers. And I want to thank chairman harris, the subcommittee staff, for working closely with me to include this language in the manager's amendment, and I yield back. >> thank the gentleman for his comments. Gentleman from texas.
▶ 3:05:54Mr. cuellar is recognized for comments on the manager's amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. You're so kind, and I want to thank you and the ranking member delauro, and I want to thank my good friend, uh, doctor harris and the ranking member, Mr. bishop, and the staff, for adding two provisions that I think are are important.
▶ 3:06:13Uh, first of all, uh, the one dealing with performance based budgeting, uh, the one looking at, uh, reviewing regulations that are outdated, uh, the one that's looking for efficiency without cutting services. This is the second committee that's added this provision. And I think it's important that we add it in every, uh, committee from now on, because it does ask the agencies, what's your capacity to review outdated regulations?
▶ 3:06:41What's your capacity to look at performance based budgeting? If we spend $1, are we getting $1 for that, for that $1 that we invest in? And I think it's important to look at that. And, uh, finally, you know, everybody talks about efficiency. Everybody talks about accountability. Everybody talks about effectiveness of the federal agencies. And especially we have, uh, what is it, a $1.7 trillion discretionary funding.
▶ 3:07:05And I think this will get us to that part where we can truly find out which are the efficiencies, the effectiveness, uh, and the accountability measures that we need to have in place. So thank you for doing that. Chairman and ranking member. The second one has to do with colonials. Colonials are really third world conditions. Uh, they don't have the water. They don't have the sewage, they don't have the electricity. And I know there's resources that we've added.
▶ 3:07:32The problem is they can't access it because you don't have, they don't have the resources to hire their lobbyists or their grant writers. So how can you have resources out there? But then the very areas that need to access that, they don't have the capacity to do that. So extending the technical assistance from usda to get that monies in those low poverty areas are very important. So again, thank you for providing that bridge.
▶ 3:08:00Uh, chairman and ranking member. And again, for those two amendments that you added and I rise in support. Thank you. And I yield back the balance of my time. >> thank gentleman very much for your comments. Gentleman from wisconsin, Mr. buchanan is recognized to address the manager's amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chairman.
▶ 3:08:19I rise in support of the manager's amendment and would like to thank the subcommittee chair and the ranking member and the staff on the subcommittee for including language in this package on a very nonpartisan but important issue. Richland farms is a dog breeding and research facility located in my district in wisconsin. It currently houses about 2000 beagles and many of the dogs brought it.
▶ 3:08:43Richland farms are used to, uh for biomedical research, pharmaceutical testing, and toxicology studies. Last year, the wisconsin department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection cited richland for 308 counts of mistreating dogs. These violations included significant deficiencies in veterinary care, sanitation, housing conditions and overall treatment of the animals.
▶ 3:09:08There were documented instances of stagnant waste and poor ventilation so severe that it made inspectors physically ill. Multiple cages with rusted or broken wires cause cysts and infections, and dogs were often subjected to removal of their vocal cords and in certain instances, allegedly without anesthesia or pain management.
▶ 3:09:31Following the investigation, the facility agreed to a settlement to surrender its state commercial dog breeding license by july 1st of this year. Even though this facility was cited for hundreds of violations, demonstrating systematic and ongoing animal mistreatment, this facility was allowed to maintain its usda class a breeder license months after the facility was cited with hundreds of violations and agreed to surrender its state dog breeding license, the usda
▶ 3:10:03Conducted an inspection of the facility and determined it was still qualified as a class a usda licensing facility. So this license allows the breeder to supply animals for taxpayer funded research purposes, including nih labs. And you may remember we had that conversation with secretary kennedy. Uh, he said he wants to stop this practice. In fact, he thought it wasn't going on. And I appreciated the comments he had that day.
▶ 3:10:28Uh, but this amendment includes language that directs the usda to review the federal licenses of breeders that have lost their equivalent state level breeding license and take action if it's clear that they are no longer eligible for their federal license either. Honestly, this should be an automatic thing. If a breeder is turning in their state license due to code violations, the usda should at least take a look and see if they should be allowed to continue to have this privilege.
▶ 3:10:55And this situation is so nonpartisan that even laura trump and laura loomer have spoken out against what's happening at richland farms. Interesting bedfellows. Um, so I'm glad that we could do a little good here today. I know my constituents are grateful. And, uh, again, I appreciate the inclusion of this and I urge adoption of the manager's amendment, and I yield back. >> thank the gentleman for his comments. Do any other members wish to address the manager's amendment? Gentlelady from washington, miss perez.
▶ 3:11:26>> thank you, Mr. chair. >> I rise to speak today on two priorities in the manager's amendment. The first is a pear tree um wreaking havoc on native habitats and farming equipment. The calorie or the bradford pear. Um. These pairs were introduced to the us in the 1960s as a popular landscaping tree. Um, and since then it has cross-pollinated. It was initially thought to be sort of infertile. It's cross-pollinated and has taken over large swaths of what was formerly ag or um, uh, native land hindering forest management and agriculture.
▶ 3:11:56Um, some states like virginia and ohio, massachusetts, south carolina have already banned these trees from being sold or created phase out plans that introduced native plants in their stead. Unfortunately, my state, washington state, has a massive stand of these on their capitol grounds, and I'm glad to see the amendment urging aphis to take the necessary steps to designate callery pear as a federal noxious weed. Um.
▶ 3:12:21I hope this is the first of many in eradicating this invasive shrub and reinvigorating native habitats. The other issue that I was thrilled to see in the manager's amendment um, was relates to the food our kids eat in schools or, or they don't eat. Um, I think we all remember being presented with a really gross, um, red, delicious apple in school cafeterias. Um, maybe you like them. If you do, you're wrong. Um, but red delicious, as we know in washington state, are an inferior apple.
▶ 3:12:48And, you know, then people argue that the kids just aren't eating fruit because they don't like it. It's like, well, yeah, if you gave them an old boot leather to eat, they wouldn't eat that either. It's really, it's not about, um, you know, it's important that we offer quality fruit, um, that it can compete with cheetos or whatever kids are eating these days. And thank you. Debbie.
▶ 3:13:07Um, and, uh, I think by expanding the list of permissible, um, varieties that are available for school programs to purchase, we can make apples competitive again. Um, we can ensure that the varieties that grow well where we live, like cosmic crisp are eligible for inclusion in this, in, in this list. Um, and with that, I will yield back. Thank you so much, Mr. chair.
▶ 3:13:36>> thank you, gentlelady, for her remarks. Are there any other members wishing to comment? I have to say I've been here a lot of years. I don't think I've ever seen so many effusive comments on a manager's amendment. Uh, what an explosion of support. I mean, I can't imagine anybody would even have any problem with the bill, but I guess we'll deal with that later. Um, I want to recognize that doctor harris for one minute to close. >> uh. Thank you. I appreciate all the comments.
▶ 3:14:04And, uh, I ask for the support. >> I thought you'd at least take a victory lap. I mean, that's pretty, pretty modest. Uh, with that, uh, the question is on the amendment. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. All those opposed say no amendment is adopted. The gentleman from georgia, Mr. bishop, is recognized for the purpose of amendment.
▶ 3:14:36>> Mr. chairman, I do have an amendment to the desk and ask unanimous consent that the reading be dispensed with. >> without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentleman is recognized for remarks on his amendment. >> uh, this amendment restores funding for critical rural water and waste infrastructure and energy assistance programs to the levels that were provided in the fiscal year 2026. Bill.
▶ 3:14:59Uh, these programs are essential for communities that still lack reliable access to clean drinking water, to wastewater treatment and affordable energy. Our rural water and waste grants help small and disadvantaged communities build and maintain basic infrastructure that most americans take for granted. In many areas, aging or inadequate systems pose serious public health risks and limit economic development.
▶ 3:15:27Uh, the base bill, uh, cuts this program by 44% of the amendment, further supports the high energy cost grant. >> programs. >> which help rural households, particularly in remote areas, to manage disproportionately high utility costs.
▶ 3:15:44Uh, the republican bill eliminates funding for this program entirely or without this assistance, many families are forced to choose between paying for energy and meeting other basic needs at a time when costs remain elevated. Reducing these investments will only deepen the hardship in already vulnerable communities.
▶ 3:16:08The amendment treats the additional funds as emergency funding so that we don't exceed the already insufficient allocations that the subcommittee received. If the committee decides we don't find this accessible, then I would urge the majority to increase the agriculture 302 b level. Uh, surely we can divert some of the $1.5 trillion on the defense side of the ledger to ensure that rural america has safe and clean water.
▶ 3:16:36Uh, we must put america first and certainly rural america first. There's no reason that a simple procedural hurdle hurdle. Uh, should stop us from maintaining these important investments in our rural communities. It's practical. It's a practical investment in public health and economic opportunity and a basic quality of life for rural america. So I urge the adoption of the amendment, and I yield back.
▶ 3:17:07>> thank the gentleman for his comments. Uh, the gentleman from maryland, doctor harris, is recognized to address the amendment. >> thank you very much, Mr. chairman. Unfortunately, I rise in opposition to the amendment. We all understand and appreciate the need to support usda's water and waste disposal. Uh, certainly, we make use of those programs in my rural district, as well as the need for energy programs for rural america. However, the bill already provides 78 million for waste and water disposal grants and loan increases for the electric programs.
▶ 3:17:36And without an offset for these funding increases, the ag bill will be over allocation. And, you know, the use of emergency funding is a reason I think, uh, is just insufficient. So for these reasons, I must urge my colleagues to oppose the amendment. >> thank the gentleman. Uh, there are others wishing to address the amendment. Seeing none, the gentleman is recognized for one minute to close. >> thank you, Mr. chairman.
▶ 3:18:03I would like to close by reminding my colleagues that many of the necessities that we take for granted, like clean water, are out of reach for so many communities across rural america. In the grand scheme of things, this is not an astronomical amount of money. For that, we will look to the defense bill.
▶ 3:18:24We should not let legislative or budgetary procedures get in the way of doing the right thing for rural america. It's incumbent upon all of us to make the investments in rural communities that they deserve. I urge adoption of the amendment, and I yield back. >> thank the gentleman. The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentleman from georgia. All those in favor say aye. >> aye. >> those opposed say no.
▶ 3:18:54Oh, noes have it. Roll call has been requested. Sufficient number of hands have been raised. The clerk will call the roll. >> Mr. aderholt. Mr. aderholt. No, Mr. aguilar, Mr. aguilar. Aye. Mr. alford, Mr. alford. No. Mr. amodei, Mrs. bice. Mr. bishop. >> aye. >> Mr. bishop I Mr. calvert, Mr. calvert. No. Mr. carter.
▶ 3:19:26Mr. carter. No. Mr. case, Mr. case I Mr. cisco. Mr. cisco. No. Mr. kline, Mr. klein. No. Mr. cloud. Mr. cloud. No. Mr. clyburn, Mr. clyburn I. Mr. clyde. Mr. cole. >> no. >> Mr. cole. No. Mr. cuellar. Mr. cuellar I. Miss. Dean, miss.
▶ 3:19:57Delauro. I miss. Delauro, I Mr. diaz-balart, Mr. diaz-balart. No. Mr. edwards. Mr. ellzey. Mr. lee. No. Miss. Escobar. Mr. espaillat, Mr. espaillat, I. Mr. fleischmann, miss. Frankel, miss. Frankel, I. Mr. franklin, Mr. franklin. No. Mr. guest. Mr. guest. No. Mr. harter, Mr.
▶ 3:20:28Harter, I. Doctor. Harris. Doctor. Harris. No. Mrs. henson. Mrs. henson. No. Mr. hoyer, Mr. hoyer I Mr. iv, Mr. iv, I Mr. joyce, Mr. joyce. No. Miss kaptur, miss kaptur, I Mr. lalota. Mr. lalota. No. Miss lee, miss lee, I miss. Ludlow, Mr. levin. Mr. levin, I miss. Molloy, miss. Molloy. No. Miss.
▶ 3:21:00Mccollum, miss mccollum, I miss ming, miss ming I. Mr. molinari, Mr. molenaar. No. Mr. moore, Mr. morelli, Mr. morelli, I. Mr. van. Mr. van I, Mr. newhouse, Mr. newhouse. No. Miss. Perez, miss. Perez, I miss. Pingree, miss pingree, I. Mr. pocan, Mr. pocan, I Mr. quigley. Mr. quigley I. Mr.
▶ 3:21:31Reschenthaler. Mr. rogers. Mr. rogers, Mr. rogers. No. Mr. rutherford. Mr. rutherford. No. Mr. shreeve, Mr. shreeve. No. Mr. simpson. Mr. simpson. No. Mr. strong, Mr. strong. No. Mrs. torres. Mrs. torres, I miss. Underwood, miss underwood, I Mr. valadao. Miss wasserman.
▶ 3:22:01Schultz, miss wasserman schultz, I. Mr. valadao votes. No. Mrs. watson. Coleman. Mrs. watson. Coleman. I. Mr. womack, Mr. womack. No. Mr. zink, Mr. zink. No. >> are there any members wishing to record their vote or change their vote? Gentleman from nevada. >> Mr. amodei votes no. >> gentlelady from oklahoma. >> Mrs. bice, no. >> gentleman from tennessee. >> Mr. fleischmann, no.
▶ 3:22:32>> gentlelady from texas. >> Mr. escobar, a. >> gentleman from north carolina. >> Mr. edwards, no. >> gentlelady from pennsylvania. >> miss dean I. >> are there others wishing to record or change their vote? Seeing none, the clerk will tally.
▶ 3:23:30On this vote. The ayes are 28. The nos are 31. The amendment is not adopted. Gentleman from georgia. Mr. bishop is recognized for the purpose of an amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. I have an amendment to the desk and ask unanimous consent that the reading be dispensed with. >> without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with, and the gentleman's recognized for remarks on his amendment. >> Mr.
▶ 3:23:54Chairman, I rise to offer this amendment which would ensure that the snap contingency fund has the resources needed so that states aren't left scrambling to issue benefits during a government shutdown. But let me be clear this is not optional funding. As we saw last november, the administration was mandated by law to use the snap contingency funds to issue benefits during the government shutdown.
▶ 3:24:19And yet, instead of doing so, the administration took this all the way to the supreme court, even after lower courts made clear they had the authority to act. When we included the language for the contingency fund, it was drafted with the intention to specifically address government shutdowns. And at the moment, when families were counting on basic food assistance, that decision created needless uncertainty where there should have been stability.
▶ 3:24:48I ask my colleagues to support the amendment, and I yield back. >> thank the gentleman for his comments. The gentleman from maryland, Mr. doctor harris, is recognized to address the amendment. >> thank you very much, Mr. chairman. I rise in opposition to the amendment. The bill is drafted fully replenishes the snap contingency in normal times and in the absence of a shutdown, fns has 9 billion available in the contingency reserve. We should be getting bills done, not preparing for shutdowns.
▶ 3:25:18We could do this throughout all the appropriations bills. We could set up a tsa reserve account. We could set up all kinds of reserve accounts. That's not what this committee should do. We this committee should not be in the business of abdicating our duties and putting programs on autopilot. Instead of thinking about the next shutdown, congress should do its job and fund the government. I urge my colleagues to oppose the amendment. >> thank the gentleman for his remarks. Gentlelady from connecticut, Mr.
▶ 3:25:46Flores recognized to address the amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. I rise in support of the ranking members amendment. Um, uh, although let me be clear, the the the gentleman is going to withdraw the amendment. Okay. Um, I believe this is an important issue, and I thank the ranking member for providing us with the opportunity to discuss it.
▶ 3:26:09There are more than 42 million americans, including 16 million children, 8 million seniors, 4 million people with disabilities, 1.2 million veterans, and over 360 000 people. In connecticut, nearly 31,000 in my hometown of new haven who rely on food stamp assistance. Uh, that is to be able to put food on their table.
▶ 3:26:34Last year, the administration went out of their way to block this assistance from being distributed. They did it. They did that for purely political purposes. They fought so hard to withhold food stamps from hungry families that they went all the way to the supreme court to deprive families and children of food. They were told by not one, but two separate federal judges, that they were breaking the law.
▶ 3:27:04By withholding this assistance. They appealed those rulings all the way up to the highest court in the land. President trump's signature piece of legislation, the one big, beautiful bill, cut funding for food stamps by $187 billion.
▶ 3:27:24It got this funding explicitly to help offset the $4.5 trillion costs of tax cuts that benefit the very wealthy and the biggest corporations, stripping away assistance for hungry families is not a byproduct of this administration's agenda. It is their agenda.
▶ 3:27:44Congress explicitly sets aside funding to cover the cost of these benefits in the event of an emergency, like, for example, a government shutdown. Yet during this exact circumstance, the trump administration refused. They refused to distribute the aid in the contingency fund because they believed it would help them politically.
▶ 3:28:11The funding we passed for the contingency fund is bipartisan. It is passed by democrats and republicans in the house and in the senate. Interestingly enough, the chair spoke about 9 billion last year. It was 6 billion. The number changes. There is the need for $9 billion.
▶ 3:28:35If the trump administration can pick and choose when it wants to abide by the laws that congress passes, even when it comes to something as serious as the ability of hungry families to feed their children, then we. This body has abdicated our authority in the legislative branch.
▶ 3:28:59We will have given up the power of the purse, the contingency fund existed last year. The administration refused to use it. They even spread misinformation that it was the shutdown that was holding back the funds. Not true.
▶ 3:29:20The contingency dollars were there to be used, and they went all the way to the supreme court to be able to deprive children, families of food. I do not believe it is in anyone's interest, democrat or republican, to concede the power of the purse to the presidency at a time when the trump administration is requesting, reportedly, hundreds of billions of dollars
▶ 3:29:51In additional funding for his war of choice in iran, it is shameful that they continue to defund domestic programs that support american families in need. I thank the ranking member for offering this amendment and giving us the opportunity to discuss it, I yield back. >> thank the gentlelady for her remarks. Gentlelady from new jersey, miss watson coleman is recognized to address the amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chairman.
▶ 3:30:20I stand and speak in support of, uh, representative bishop's amendment. Government shutdowns are happening more often and highlighting the need to protect our constituents in a time of party polarization is certainly of front and center in our thoughts.
▶ 3:30:44Snap is a major food and nutrition program that is at risk of not being able to cover benefits during a shutdown if it's not adequately funded. To account for this political climate. During the longest government shutdown in history just last year, 42 million americans were at risk of losing access to snap benefits, 827,200 new jerseyans, or nearly 10% of new
▶ 3:31:17Jerseyans, rely on snap. More than 64% of the percent of the snap recipients are families with children. A higher rate of households rely on snap in rural america than in metropolitan areas, yet they face more barriers to access. Disruption to the reliability of these programs puts an extra burden on hard working families. Our constituents deserve stability, not their benefits.
▶ 3:31:46Being held hostage with millions of dollars cut from snap by my republican colleagues, ensuring that those who still have access to this critical program during a shutdown is crucial. And so I urge my colleagues to support the ranking member's amendment. And thank you, I will back, I yield back. >> thank the gentlelady for comments. Are there other members wishing to address the amendment? Seeing none, the gentleman is, oh, I'm sorry.
▶ 3:32:17Gentlelady from ohio, miss kaptur's recognized to address. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. Uh, snap exists to protect the most vulnerable in. The basic assistance it provides often makes the difference between having enough food to eat or going hungry. It's our responsibility to ensure that the program is going to be there when people need it. I'm perplexed as to why this administration fought so hard to block benefits last year.
▶ 3:32:41I hope that we can work together to ensure that the snap program will always be there for those who need it when they need it. Uh. Hungry people should not be the victims of political fights, and the department should execute the law, uh, in contingencies such as the government shutdown. Uh, I hope we can get this done. And I withdraw my amendment and yield back.
▶ 3:33:15>> let me. To my good friend from georgia. I failed to recognize the gentlelady from ohio. My mistake. I apologize for that. I want to give her the opportunity to address the amendment. And if you want to reconsider or still withdraw, that would be your choice. Of course. >> I will reconsider my withdrawal. >> that's fine. Gentlelady from ohio is recognized. >> I thank the chairman and ranking member very much. I rise in support of the ranking member bishop's thoughtful and prudent amendment.
▶ 3:33:44Uh, fundamentally, uh, the bishop amendment instructs us to be prepared. I just happen to find out that congressman bishop was an eagle scout. I didn't know that. And that reminds me of the motto of be prepared. Uh, all of us have to be concerned about preparedness, including in this program. We're coming off the longest U.S. government wide shutdown in our nation's history. The 43 day shutdown occurred under the president's watch last october and november.
▶ 3:34:16And when a shutdown occurs or an unexpected crisis arises, the last thing we need is for food insecure workers and families to become even more vulnerable or lose their lifeline, their access to food. They need to stay alive and live healthy and make it through whatever it is we're facing as a country. And that's exactly what happens when shutdowns or political pressures disrupt regular snap funding.
▶ 3:34:41And that is why this program operates with a contingency reserve, and that reserve must be meaningful and replenished when it is drawn down. Setting aside any debate about the use of contingency funds during a shutdown, the contingency fund is about ensuring snap participants and others have support when disaster strikes and disaster snap is activated. This year alone, we are witnessing a record setting number of federal disaster declarations.
▶ 3:35:1022 have been approved since january, exceeding the five year average. Nearly every congressional district has experienced at least one federally declared disaster in the last 15 years. The district I represent has had five. At this moment, disaster snap programs are operated in michigan, wisconsin, hawaii and guam. And my state or your state could be next. And when that happens, god forbid, we must be prepared. So usda must have the contingency funds to meet that moment.
▶ 3:35:39That's what this amendment is about, preparedness. So let's take a page from scouting. Let's be prepared. Please vote for Mr. bishop's amendment. Show us that we all not only really care, but that we are ready. And I would yield to the gentleman. >> certainly will recognize the gentleman from maryland for remarks he cares to make on the amendment. Uh, I want to.
▶ 3:36:09>> just make a comment because we are in a very long shutdown. That shutdown is because we have a disagreement, a substantive disagreement on two agencies. And as a result, we've shut down all the other agencies that are within the department of homeland security. And in an irrational thing to be doing, shutdown is irrational. It costs a lot of money. It's a stupid policy.
▶ 3:36:34And the gentleman from maryland is absolutely correct, uh, on the sense and I and frankly, I would vote for this amendment if it was going to be, uh, because we ought to have provided for the separately in a vote that we all agreed upon because we want to feed people. Uh, but, uh, a number of people have provided resolutions where federal employees can't get paid or this section of government will go on automatically.
▶ 3:37:03And I just, uh, Mr. harris wanted to join you in saying, to the extent we make it easier to shut down the government, I think we undermine our responsibility. I yield back. >> thank you, gentlemen, very much for his comments. Chairs recognize himself quickly to address this amendment to. Before I recognize the gentleman to close us. I want to say a word in defense of the president on this.
▶ 3:37:30It was not the president that shut down the government. It was the congress that shut down the government. And we can debate that back and forth. But the president did everything possible to extend funding for both wick and snap. He pulled the rabbit out of a hat a couple times for american military. So we can argue back and forth, but let's recognize who shut down the government. It was not donald trump, and frankly, it was not over anything related to appropriations.
▶ 3:37:57It was over unrelated items, medicare, important issues, medicare premium support, what have you, but not appropriations issues. So it was a decision of congress or parts of congress to use the appropriations process to achieve an unrelated goal. Um, I regret that. I've seen both parties do it. I don't think it's ever wise. My party has certainly done it. We were lectured pretty sternly. Your party has certainly done it.
▶ 3:38:24And I think you you should be lectured pretty strongly about that. We're in a similar situation now. But again, regardless of that, regardless, how about anybody feels about it? President did not shut down the government. Uh, and he, he worked hard to, to try and, frankly, fund programs for some of our most vulnerable citizens and certainly keep our military pay. With that, I yield back. I yield to my friend. >> I just wanted to I agree with the chairman.
▶ 3:38:50And frankly, it's it's, it's somewhat irrelevant to all the people who are sustaining the adverse consequences of what we do as to who shut it down. And both sides have shut down. We take the position that we're going to take the government hostage if we don't get what we want. Um, and what I think Mr. doctor harris was saying is that, look, we need to do our duty and get things done.
▶ 3:39:16And where we can't agree, we ought to take those out and not have the consequence of adversely affecting everybody else. In this case, the department of homeland security. Uh, we have a difference of opinion. It is a legitimate, honest difference of opinion on how ice and cbp ought to operate. But that should not affect coast guard, should not affect, uh, customs or secret service or other agencies that are not involved in that dispute.
▶ 3:39:46And I think, as I said, it's stupid, very costly. Uh, some of the suggestions we've crossed have now cost us $40 billion. That's not counting the president shutdown. Thank you, Mr. chairman. >> thank the gentleman for his remarks. And if there are no other members wishing to address the amendment, I recognize the gentleman from georgia to close. >> as I prepared to withdraw my amendment.
▶ 3:40:12I do want to point out that it really should not matter why the government shuts down. Uh, but the people who are the recipients of snap, uh, should not be collateral damage in, in the political disagreements that we have. And for that reason, we really should do our jobs and we should make sure that this contingency fund, uh, is executed.
▶ 3:40:35Uh, it really didn't matter if the president or the congress shut it down, but the department had funds available in the contingency fund that congress put there for that particular purpose. If there was a contingency where the funds had run out and all they had to do was execute their duty, uh, rather than going to the supreme court and dragging it out and making the recipients be collateral damage. With that, Mr. chairman, I will withdraw the amendment.
▶ 3:41:08>> I want to thank the gentleman for his thoughtful remarks. And honestly, all of you, for the debate and discussion. I thought it was an important one to have. Uh, and just looking down the road before we resume here, uh, I have been thinking I'll talk to my friend, the ranking member, and certainly a number of others. We might ought to look at this problem when we get our bills done. There are a number of, of, uh, uh, pieces of legislation going around that deal with government shutdowns. Whatever.
▶ 3:41:36My friend from maryland makes a very good point about, we don't want to make it so easy that we end up with an internal kr. And I know that's a concern, but I've actually started talking just to advise you down the road, we wouldn't do anything about this until we get our bills done. Got plenty of time. Uh, but it might be something we should think about because this committee is the most impacted. Uh, when something like this happens. And I'm very proud of this committee, it did its work as well as it could under very difficult circumstances. Last year.
▶ 3:42:06It did that because it cooperated in a bipartisan way. And, uh, we certainly want to continue that. But if there's things we could do as a committee, uh, to help put us in a situation where we can deal with these things better, that's something maybe we should explore and I would want to proceed. I don't have a partizan plan here in a bipartisan way. What would institutionally be something for us to do? Again, you know, senator johnson has an idea.
▶ 3:42:31Senator lankford has an idea that probably some ideas over on this side of the rotunda as well. But that might be something we should talk about and think about might be a useful exercise because, uh, sadly, there's always the chance we could be here for the whole government again come september 30th. And that's something I very much want to avoid. I know all of you very much want to avoid as well, so. >> you're wiser. >> uh, now that's pretty wise.
▶ 3:43:00We wouldn't have a shutdown last year, so it must not be that smart. So, uh, but I do think we ought to think about it a little bit more because as the, uh, you know, my friend suggested from both georgia and ohio, uh, we find ourselves in these situations more than we should and more than we would want to as an institution. And we need to see if there's some creative ways we can deal with this. And if there's going to be pain involved, it is on the congress, maybe not the people of the united states.
▶ 3:43:28Uh, there's everything from staying around till we get our work done to all sorts of things that have been proposed, but they're worth exploring. Uh, that. I'm sorry I took us off, but, uh, I now recognize the gentleman, the other gentleman, one of the other gentleman from maryland, chairman harris, to offer a republican en bloc amendment. >> Mr. chairman. >> Mr.
▶ 3:43:53Chairman, I have amendment number two, the republican en bloc at the desk and ask unanimous consent to dispense with the reading. >> without any objection, the amendment is dismissed. The reading is dispensed with. The gentleman is recognized to explain. >> thank you very much.
▶ 3:44:05This is a short republican en bloc amendment which amends the definition related to specialty crops that adds millet to the definition of specialty crop, extends the timeline for a water project, as well as including two new report language items relating to microalgae farming with data centers, and requesting the fda to develop a framework for electronic prescribing information for healthcare professionals. I ask for your support for the en bloc amendment. >> I thank the gentleman. Gentleman from georgia is recognized to address the amendment.
▶ 3:44:39>> I rise in opposition to the amendment. I'm concerned that these items are rushing processes that encourage investment and abrupt changes. Without fully understanding the implications. I'd like to see additional analysis before we move forward on both of these items. And unfortunately, the majority added language at the last minute to help get votes on this morning's rule, which obviously is suffering. Uh, the farm bill and fisa language are put in on the en bloc.
▶ 3:45:06Uh, unfortunately, uh, that's not a good way for us to proceed. And I oppose the amendment, uh, and yield back. >> I thank the gentleman. Do any other members wish to address the amendment? Seeing none, the gentleman is recognized for one minute to close. >> thank you very much. And, uh, you know, addressing the two late additions, one is very simple. Just adding millet to a specialty crop definition.
▶ 3:45:33The other one is actually a bill that everybody has voted for already. With regards to the arkansas water project. So with that, I would ask to support for an amendment. >> thank the gentleman. The question is now on the amendment. All those in favor say aye. I all those opposed say no. >> no. >> is the gentleman requesting a vote?
▶ 3:46:02Look, I'm going to rule in favor of the dose if you guys can't say I. Okay. You did scare them. Maybe you woke them up. Uh, I thank you for that. So I'm going to rule in favor of the eyes, but gentleman wants to vote. That's certainly in order that the amendment is accepted. The gentleman from michigan, Mr. mulliner, is recognized for amendment. >> thank you.
▶ 3:46:30>> uh, I have an amendment to the desk and request unanimous consent to dispense with the reading. Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with, and the gentleman is recognized for remarks on his amendment. Thank you. My amendment would strike section 762 of this bill, which would prohibit funding from being used to enforce surplus broiler egg regulations currently in place.
▶ 3:46:53The fda's egg safety rule requires producers to follow certain preventative measures to prevent the growth of salmonella. This section would negatively impact egg producers and potentially allow unrefrigerated hatchery surplus eggs, which are a salmonella risk, to enter the food supply, creating a potentially dangerous scenario for consumers.
▶ 3:47:17The fda found that unrefrigerated eggs could carry salmonella even if they are pasteurized. The agency's risk assessment, carried out during the first trump administration, projected over 3500 additional salmonellosis cases per year. If unrefrigerated eggs were allowed into the food supply.
▶ 3:47:41While I remain concerned about this section, I will ultimately be withdrawing my amendment in order to allow us more time to work together on a solution to ensure our producers are not hurt and eggs remain safe. And thank you, Mr. chairman, I yield back. >> I thank the gentleman, the gentleman from maryland, doctor harris, is recognized to address the amendment. >> uh, thank you very much, Mr. chairman.
▶ 3:48:10I appreciate my colleague offering to withdraw the amendment. The issue is over. Uh, the whether or not we're going to allow into the into the use of food eggs that are left over from a breeder farm, uh, that are not sent to a hatchery for various reasons. They're not sent to a hatchery. Uh, the, the data that the fda relied on is an old data that actually used modeling data, not a real study. They changed the rule.
▶ 3:48:36And subsequent to changing the rule, there was no difference in the number of, of batches that were that failed pasteurization. So actually the real world data, actual sampling data shows that there that that rule was not effective at changing anything. That pasteurization in fact works. However, I note the concerns being raised. I'm happy to work with the gentleman on this issue as we move forward in the process. >> thank you. Gentlemen.
▶ 3:49:07Gentlemen from arkansas is recognized to address the issue. >> yeah. Thank you, Mr. chairman, and and my thanks to Mr. molenaar for his, um, offer to withdraw. I rise in opposition to such an amendment that would strip a straightforward bipartisan provision allowing broiler chicken producers to sell surplus eggs to the breaker market, where they're pasteurized and mixed into everyday grocery products like pasta, salad dressing and the
▶ 3:49:37Like. Now, currently, during, uh, due to an fda rule finalized in 2009, commonly known as the shell egg rule, these surplus broiler eggs must be discarded due to the lack of immediate refrigeration. Now just think about that. Hundreds of millions of eggs discarded as a result of this rule.
▶ 3:50:01It completely disregards the difference between table eggs, which are raw products that need refrigeration, and breaker eggs, which are pasteurized and safe for mixing. Because of this misguided rule, chicken farmers throw away nearly 400 million perfectly good eggs each year.
▶ 3:50:22To add insult to injury, table eggs that test positive for salmonella are allowed to be sent to a breaker facility to be pasteurized and then mixed into these grocery products. Yet surplus broiler eggs that are salmonella negative are not allowed to be sold to breakers just because they weren't refrigerated. This double standard didn't make sense when it was implemented, and it doesn't make sense now.
▶ 3:50:55This amendment would undermine arkansas farmers and producers hard work and continue to waste their chickens usable byproducts, eliminating a potential revenue stream that is beneficial to all parties. Every good chicken farmer and producer loves to use the whole bird.
▶ 3:51:11Adopting today's amendment, if it persisted, would contribute to this gross food waste stunt, economic growth and uphold an unfair double standard that harms our chicken farmers who help feed america. So again, I appreciate Mr. molina's request to withdraw the amendment, but I wanted to weigh in on the subject because I think it's that important. Uh, in case this subject were to resurface. And I yield back.
▶ 3:51:41>> thank the gentleman. Are there other members wishing to discuss the amendment? Not. The gentleman is recognized for one minute to close. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. And I would just note I my understanding is and I look forward to working with the chairman on this going forward, um, that if refrigeration did occur, then everyone would be treated by the same standard. So, um, I look forward to working with you, uh, going forward. And with that, I withdraw my amendment.
▶ 3:52:14>> thank the gentleman. I'll just note while I'm waiting for what's next. Uh, Mr. womack, you were not here to defend your hogs, but you were here to defend your chickens and your eggs, so I, I just want the record to note that they'll explain it to you later. Okay. Um, I recognize my good friend, the ranking member of the full committee, Mr. laurel, for the purposes of an amendment. >> what came first, the chicken or the egg, anyway? Okay, Mr.
▶ 3:52:47Chair, I have an amendment at the desk, and I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with. >> without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with, and the gentlelady is recognized for remarks on her amendment. >> I rise to offer this amendment to prohibit the implementation of tariffs that would increase food costs on american consumers who are dealing with a cost of living crisis. Food costs have already risen nearly 25% in the last few years, stretching budgets for families across the country.
▶ 3:53:19President trump's chaotic tariffs have made trips to the grocery store even more expensive. Everything from coffee to fruit to to the packaging of our food rose in costs thanks to universal tariffs that he applied to our our closest trading partners. According to the tax foundation, president trump's tariffs were the largest tax hike since 1993.
▶ 3:53:47They cost each american family nearly $1,700 in additional costs last year. That's according to the yale budget lab. Early on administration. Early on, the administration scrambled to try to fix its mistakes, including usda increasing egg imports in hopes to bring costs down. And on november 14th of last year, president trump issued tariff exemptions for various U.S.
▶ 3:54:14Food products, including beef, fruits, spices and coffee. But over half of all U.S. food imports were still subject to tariffs even after this reversal. This included bread and other baked goods. That's $10.3 billion in imports. Fresh fish fillets, $7.5 billion in imports, and crustaceans like crabs and shrimp, $7 billion in imports.
▶ 3:54:42And shoppers felt it at the checkout counter. Grocery prices increased by over 3% from february 2025 to february 2026, higher than the overall pace of inflation. Beef and coffee, two goods that were highly affected by tariffs, saw huge increases since last year, going up 14% and 18%, respectively.
▶ 3:55:06But not only did american families lose under this tariff policy, so did small and medium sized grocers who struggled to absorb these costs. Now, the supreme court has ruled that president trump's so-called reciprocal tariffs were illegal, and big corporations are lining up to demand refunds. The trump administration is being forced to return nearly $166 billion in tariffs collected from american companies, who passed many of those costs onto the american people.
▶ 3:55:34All of that chaos and disruption, only to end up sending money back to big companies while the american people are worse off. We cannot let anything like this happen. I know that the president has never had to manage a food budget or worry about making ends meet. But for americans living paycheck to paycheck, the uncertainty has. Tariffs bring has caused panic and fear for parents just trying to put food on the table.
▶ 3:56:04Proud to propose this amendment. I urge my colleagues to support it as well. Thank you, and I yield back. >> thank you, gentlelady, for her remarks. Gentleman from maryland, doctor harris is recognized to respond to the amendment. >> uh, thank you very much. I rise in opposition to the amendment attempting to blame the trump administration for trade deficits and food costs is just unrealistic. Look at the facts. The trump administration left office in 2020 with a record six decades of a trade surplus.
▶ 3:56:33The biden administration left us with a record agricultural trade deficit of nearly 50 billion. Already, our constituents are seeing the benefit of the administration's trade policies. Egg prices down 44.7% from march 2025 and just last month, eight of 15 food at home categories saw price declines. Uh, the bottom line is that for for american farmers, short term tariffs may may harm, but long term they're beneficial.
▶ 3:57:01These trade deals america has to regain. It's, uh, it's a positive trade balance. And it's and it's beginning to do so as a result of, of tariff agreements, uh, that have been made and trade agreements, this amendment handcuffs the administration on its signature america first trade policy move we cannot support. So I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment. >> thank you, gentlemen, for his remarks. The gentleman from georgia, Mr. bishop's recognized to address the amendment. >> uh, Mr.
▶ 3:57:30Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment. This amendment is about protecting american families and farmers from policies that drive up food costs. It ensures that no funds in this bill can be used to implement tariffs that would make groceries more expensive. Families across the country are already facing elevated food costs, and they cannot afford additional price increases driven by policy decisions.
▶ 3:58:00Usda data shows that food prices rose significantly in recent years, placing sustained pressure on household budgets. Tariffs that increase the cost of imported food or agricultural inputs are often passed directly on to consumers. They can also raise costs to producers who rely on imported equipment, on fertilizer and other inputs.
▶ 3:58:24The trump administration's tariff policies have already created volatility in agricultural markets and contributed to higher costs across the supply chain. When retaliation follows, american farmers lose access to key export markets, compounding the damage that combination, higher input costs, reduced market access, puts additional strain on producers who are already operating on tight, tight margins.
▶ 3:58:54This amendment draws a clear line. Taxpayer dollars should not be used to implement policies that raise food prices for american families. It's a straightforward, common sense protection at a time when both consumers and producers are feeling the economic pressure, we should be focused on lowering costs and strengthening markets, not taking actions that move in the opposite directions. I support the amendment.
▶ 3:59:22I commend the gentlelady for offering the amendment, and I yield back. >> thank the gentleman for his remarks. Gentlelady from florida, miss wasserman schultz, recognized to address the amendment. >> thank you. Thank you, Mr. chairman. I rise in strong support of the ranking members amendment. On monday night, I held a town hall with my constituents to talk about affordability, affordability, crisis that's gripping our communities.
▶ 3:59:48The number one question that I received was, what is congress going to do to lower my grocery bill? This is not new, and it is getting worse. Families across florida are squeezed at the grocery store every single day. They watch more of their hard earned paychecks get eaten up by climbing costs, and much of it traces directly back to president trump's senseless tariff policy. Tariffs are taxes. That's exactly what they are. They get passed down to the consumer and they increase costs for everything.
▶ 4:00:18In fact, the data shows that trump's tariffs are far and away the number one driver of grocery inflation. Look at the numbers. Since trump took office just over a year ago, prices for everyday household items are surging. Orange juice is up 25%. Kind of important in florida, ground beef is up 17.5%. Coffee prices are up nearly 30%. These are not luxury items. These are the basics. This is what goes in people's shopping bags every week.
▶ 4:00:47These are the things parents reach for when they pack lunches and feed their kids before school. But over half of all U.S. food imports are now subject to trump's tariff tax. Half families must pay a penalty imposed by this administration on the food that they buy for their children.
▶ 4:01:05There's a reason that most states sales taxes exempt essential goods like groceries, because we decided as a country that you shouldn't be taxed on the basics unless you're donald trump and families are feeling the difference right now in stores across this country, people stand in the grocery aisle doing math in their heads. Then too often they're putting items back on the shelf. They skip fresh vegetables and proteins and reach for whatever is cheapest. Usually the less healthy processed foods, all just to make ends meet.
▶ 4:01:33That is the reality. That's what tariffs do to the people that we represent every single day. This amendment says enough is enough. It draws a line and declares that we will not allow tariff policy to take food off our tables and healthy food out of the mouths of our kids. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this common sense amendment, on an amendment that would make life more affordable for our constituents, and I yield back. >> thank you. Gentlelady.
▶ 4:01:59Are there other members of the gentleman from maryland recognized to address the amendment? >> uh, thank you very much. I rise in support of the amendment, but also rise in to respond to the observations of the gentleman from maryland, the subcommittee chairman.
▶ 4:02:15Uh, and he said that this would handcuff the president, supreme court of the united states, handcuffed the president, said he was doing things that he did not have the constitutional ability to do, and he didn't care.
▶ 4:02:31And so we stood by while again, one more time, uh, we failed, uh, to protect, uh, our constitutional responsibility and authority. And this was on, uh, tariffs, which the constitution clearly says we're responsible for now.
▶ 4:03:01We gave some emergency authority. Uh, clearly there was no emergency in the sense that the congress contemplated. Uh, and then what happened? It happened, I think, in the first administration as well as this administration. The president then took money, uh, to pay it to farmers who had been hurt by his policies.
▶ 4:03:33So that here we are, uh. Allowing our authority to be undermined, to have a collective judgment as to whether or not these tariffs were appropriate or tariff. A tariff, b, tariff c you name your tariff was appropriate. And if so, what? The consequences of doing that would be.
▶ 4:03:59And as I said and reiterate what we did, we tried to offset the adverse consequences to farmers by simply paying them money. Very frankly, we're talking about food stamps. Snap.
▶ 4:04:17Uh, I will tell you the, the recipients of those programs would be just delighted if we send them money to offset these cuts. I yield back. >> thank the gentleman for his remarks. Gentlelady from new jersey, miss watson coleman recognized to address the amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chairman.
▶ 4:04:45>> I rise to support the amendment. Um, I'm very much touched by things that my colleagues have said in terms of these tariffs on the impact of our families to feed our families, no matter what you call it, and no matter who you want to hold responsible for it, because the president is responsible for. But so are we for not doing our job and holding him accountable and ensuring that we are the checks and balances that the constitution provides for.
▶ 4:05:15And if you listen carefully to the king of england, he reminded us that there are no kings in anywhere that don't have to respond to some checks and balance. At the end of the day, we should be very concerned about whether or not our families can afford to feed their families and whether or not they can afford to buy nutritional items for their families.
▶ 4:05:38If food and other costs are rising directly because the tariffs are taxes and those taxes are passed down to the consumer, then we must confront the reality of the situation and not say that it's something that it is not with a straight face, knowing well that we're not portraying the honesty of the situation. So with that, I do support this amendment. I do support congress doing its job.
▶ 4:06:06I do support doing everything that we can to lower the costs on on families to feed their families. And I, I support this amendment and I yield back. Thank you, Mr. chairman. >> thank you, gentlelady, for remarks. Gentlelady from ohio. Miss. Captors recognized. To address the amendment, I. >> I rise mike. >> mike. Oh. >> I'm sorry.
▶ 4:06:33It's in the wrong place. Anyway. Um, ranking member uh, chair. Ranking member delauro. I rise in support of the delauro amendment. The trade battle and the trade deficit battle is why I ran for office. This country hasn't had a balanced trade account since 1970. It's one of the reasons for the upheaval in this economy. And tariffs don't make it any better. It makes it worse.
▶ 4:07:00It also is bad because we don't deal with gatt and we don't deal with the, uh, differential in how other countries deal with their value added tax compared to us. It's a long, storied history and one in which we're not winning. Um, so I rise in support of this because tariffs are regrettable, especially at this moment. They're terribly harmful. And rising costs reflect that. I was shocked. I went into the supermarket when I went back home the other day.
▶ 4:07:28And a piece of beef this big, I saw it. It was on an end counter that meant it was on sale, $48, this much beef. And I thought, that's the bargain. How can american families even support their own family, much less their their additional relatives? Anyway, uh, the tariffs are rising, are causing food to rise all over this country. And they've put people against the wall.
▶ 4:07:57Credit card debt is skyrocketing across this country every day. I even hear from farmers, uh, whose costs are driven, right? Fertilizer, all the inputs that they have much more expensive this year. They're not going to break even friends. They're not going to break even. The latest available data indicates that tariffs on agricultural inputs are going to cost american producers $8 billion more than last year.
▶ 4:08:22And the, um, premiums on their health insurance are becoming so expensive, our farmers can't afford their health insurance. This is going to be a hard year. So these tariffs function as an unwarranted tax on american producers and america's families squeezing their already thin margins. So where do you stand on the cost of living crisis? We stand with the people and we have to roll back these tariffs. They're working backwards. They're not helping us. They're hurting the american people.
▶ 4:08:51So I urge my colleagues to vote for the delauro amendment. But way beyond the delauro amendment, this country has to ask itself why we have not had balanced trade accounts since 1970 and why that is changing the politics of this country to something really ugly. And it's deep, and it needs our attention. And I guarantee you it won't happen. And how sad for our country I yield back. >> thank the gentlelady. Uh, are there other members wishing to address the amendment?
▶ 4:09:19Seeing none, the gentlelady is recognized for one minute to close. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. I want to say a thank you to my colleagues for really sharpening the debate on this. On this issue, I have to agree with one thing that the chair of the subcommittee said, and that we have seen the results of the president's trade policy. Yes, we have seen it. It is a disaster.
▶ 4:09:40Total disaster tax foundation president trump's tariffs were the largest tax hike since 1993, $1,700 for an additional cost last year for families. Um, I want to remind everyone and and congresswoman wasserman schultz talked about her her, uh, town hall meeting, uh, it maybe the issue of affordability and cost of living doesn't penetrate with president trump. He's never had to deal with that issue.
▶ 4:10:07But the single biggest issue that comes up in any gathering of constituents is, um, what are the costs that they're dealing with? The affordability cost of living is not a hoax. It is a reality. And the congress needs to understand that that is the reality. And the two items at the top of that list are groceries. And now, because of a war of choice, we are looking at gas prices. So we better focus on it. We are focusing in on this side of the aisle.
▶ 4:10:35I suggest to all of you that you need to do that as well. There are people are demanding help with the cost of living. We hear it over and over again. The last thing that the administration should do is engaging in reckless inflationary trade wars, putting universal tariffs on everything from eggs to produce, especially after being so thoroughly rebuked by the supreme court.
▶ 4:10:59The american people need help with the cost of living, and this amendment gives it to them. Urge my colleagues to vote for the amendment I yield back. >> thank the gentlelady. The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentlelady from connecticut. All those in favor say I. I all those opposed say no, >> no. >> opinion of the chair. The nos have it roll call has been requested. Sufficient vote has. Air support has been demonstrated.
▶ 4:11:29Clerk will call the roll. >> Mr. aderholt. Mr. aderholt. No. Mr. >> aguilar. Mr. aguilar, I. Mr. alford. Mr. alford. No. Mr. Mr. amodei. No. Mrs. bice. Mrs. bice. No. Mr. bishop. Mr. bishop, I. Mr. calvert, Mr. calvert. No. Mr. carter. Mr. carter. No. Mr. case. Mr. I. Mr. Mr. no. Mr. klein. Mr. klein. No. Mr. cloud. Mr.
▶ 4:12:03Clyburn. Mr. clyde. Mr. clyde. No. Mr. cole. Mr. cole. No. Mr. cuellar, miss. Dean. Miss dean, I miss. Delauro, I Mr. I, Mr. diaz-balart. Mr. edwards. Mr. lee, Mr. lee. No. Miss. Escobar, miss. Escobar, I. Mr. espaillat.
▶ 4:12:35Mr. fleishman, Mr. fleishman. No. Miss. Frankel, miss. Frankel, I. Mr. franklin, Mr. franklin. No. Mr. guest, Mr. guest. No. Mr. harter. Doctor. Harris. Doctor. Harris. No. Mrs. henson, Mrs. henson. No. Mr. hoyer, >> I Mr. >> hoyer, I Mr. iv, Mr. iv, I Mr. joyce. Miss kaptur.
▶ 4:13:01Miss kaptur, I Mr. nick lalota. Mr. nick lalota. No. Miss lee. Miss. Ludlow, Mr. levin, Mr. levin, I. Miss. Malloy. Miss. Mccollum, miss mccollum, I miss ming. Miss ming, I. Mr. molinari, Mr.
▶ 4:13:31Molenaar. No. Mr. moore, Mr. moore. No. Mr. morelli, Mr. morelli I. Mr. van. Mr. van I, Mr. newhouse, Mr. newhouse. No. Miss. Perez. Miss. Pingree, miss pingree, I. Mr. pocan, Mr. pocan, I Mr. quigley. Mr. quigley, I. Mr. reschenthaler. Mr. rogers, Mr. rogers. No. Mr.
▶ 4:14:03Rutherford. Mr. rutherford. No. Mr. shreeve, Mr. shreeve. No. Mr. simpson, Mr. simpson. No. Mr. strong, Mr. strong. No. Mrs. torres. Mrs. torres, I miss. Underwood, Mr. underwood, I. Mr. valadao, Mr. valadao. No. Miss. Wasserman. Schultz, miss. Wasserman. Schultz. I. Mrs. watson. Coleman. Miss. Mrs. watson. Coleman. I. Mr. womack, Mr. womack. No. Mr. zink, Mr.
▶ 4:14:33Zink. No. >> are there any members wishing to record a change of vote? Gentleman from south carolina. >> Mr. clyburn, a. >> gentleman from california. >> Mr. harter, a. >> gentleman from new york. >> Mr. espaillat, a. >> gentleman from texas. >> Mr. cuellar, a. >> gentleman from north carolina. >> Mr. edwards, no. >> gentleman from ohio. >> Mr. joyce? No. >> gentleman from florida. >> Mr. diaz-balart, no.
▶ 4:15:05>> gentleman. Gentlelady from utah. >> miss malloy? No. >> oh yes, ma'am. >> okay. Gentleman from texas. >> Mr. cloud votes no. >> are there Mr. okay. Are there others wishing to record or change their vote? Seeing none, the clerk will tally.
▶ 4:16:09>> thank you very much. >> on this vote, the a's are 26 and those are 33. The amendment is not adopted. Gentleman, our gentlelady, excuse me from connecticut and the ranking member is recognized for the purpose of amendment. >> thank you very much, Mr. chairman. I have an amendment at the desk, and I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.
▶ 4:16:37>> without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with, and gentlelady is recognized for remarks on her amendment. >> thank you. This amendment adds report language that would help strengthen our nation's infant formula supply chain and ensure policy makers have the information that they need to act.
▶ 4:16:56In 2022, the us experienced a severe shortage of infant formula following abbott nutrition's sturgis, michigan plant closing due to safety concerns and a recall due to cronobacter contamination. Um at the time, the abbott sturgis plant was producing roughly 40% of the formula infant formula in the country.
▶ 4:17:24The outbreak exemplified how desperately reform was needed and how concentrated the infant formula market is in the united states. And thankfully, congress acted in the wake of this outbreak. But it is clear that so much more needs to be done. The recent outbreak of by heart infant infant formula due to botulism contamination has again highlighted the need for additional reform.
▶ 4:17:49This outbreak sickened at least 51 infants with infant botulism across 19 states. A one year old portland baby is still battling infant botulism after drinking contaminated by heart baby formula last november. This is the article that appeared portland baby still battling infant botulism months after contaminated formula outbreak. He has been hospitalized twice.
▶ 4:18:19He's scheduled for surgery in early may to get a permanent feeding tube placed. Babies should not be getting this sick from infant formula. In the united states, about 75% of us infants consume formula by six months of age. We must do more to protect the safety of infant formula in our country.
▶ 4:18:43This report language, its report language that would require comprehensive testing by infant formula manufacturers for pathogens and microorganisms in both the facilities and in the finished product, including setting a minimum testing requirement, a mandatory reporting process, and notification to congress.
▶ 4:19:07It also requires record retention by manufacturers of all positive test results and additional congressional notification of any inspections of infant formula manufacturing facilities that are classified as indicating the need for official action.
▶ 4:19:28Interestingly enough, uh, when the, uh, the, uh, contamination was made public, um, the company refused to do a voluntary recall. It really had to be pressured into doing a recall and continued selling a product that was, uh, was contaminating babies.
▶ 4:19:54Uh, they finally did, uh, deal with a, with a recall the bill also, um, uh, uh, well, the measures are common sense. They strengthen the testing regime with clear deadlines and reporting requirements. It gives our health agencies and the congress the information we need to act in an emergency. I think we can't let the health of our nation's newborn children be taken for granted.
▶ 4:20:24Uh, infant formula is essential so that it must be safe. Imagine you buy a product with your, you know, your, with your treasure, your newborn, and you buy the formula and, and you're thinking you're doing the best for your, for your baby and what you're doing and putting them into harm's way. It should not be the case. We can and we should do something about this, I yield back. >> thank you. Lady.
▶ 4:20:53The gentleman from maryland, doctor harris, recognized to address the amendment. >> thank you very much. I want to thank the gentlelady from connecticut for bringing the issue before the subcommittee. Uh, certainly, the infant safety of infant baby formula is an important topic. Uh, it's absolutely right. We can and should do something about it. The question is how congress should be should be doing something about it.
▶ 4:21:17Uh, you know, the fda is obviously going to be tasked with coming up with a solution to the problem. But I think it's important enough that we get it right, that it goes through the regular process, which is energy and commerce, which is my understanding, having a hearing on this today, uh, will discuss the issue, will do, do things the way congress should be doing it.
▶ 4:21:47I mean, I first saw this amendment yesterday. This is a pretty prescriptive amendment. I'm not sure this is the right way. This is the right way to tackle this. Not this is not my my area of expertise, not baby formula, energy and commerce committee. That that is their oversight of fda and their statutory, uh, statutory guardrails that they can put in are, I think is the appropriate place. They are taking this issue up. So I would say this is not the way we should be doing this.
▶ 4:22:14This is an this is an issue with urgency, but energy and commerce realizes that. Uh, so I would urge that we don't adopt this amendment today, uh, that we work with, uh, with the fda and with, and with our colleagues in energy and commerce to make sure that they are dealing with it. And I will yield back the time. >> thank the gentleman for his remarks. Gentleman from georgia. Mr.
▶ 4:22:43Bishop is recognized to address the amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. I rise in support of the amendment. This amendment would direct fda to improve infant formula safety in the united states. It would require comprehensive testing and facilities and formula products and require mandatory reporting after the infant formula crisis in 2022 and additional outbreaks.
▶ 4:23:10This is an issue that we need to find solutions to protecting our nation's babies. Our most vulnerable should be a top priority. Because of that, I support the adoption of amendment, congratulate the gentlelady for offering it, and I yield back. >> thank the gentleman for his remarks. The gentlelady from pennsylvania, miss dean, is recognized to address the amendment.
▶ 4:23:41>> thank you. Chairman, I rise today in joyful and. I thought it was hopeful. Support of ranking member delauro's infant formula amendment. Wishing we could come to an agreement here in this body about it, and I thank the lady for her beautiful amendment. It's a critical and long overdue step toward ensuring the safety and reliability of our nation's infant formula. The facts are clear and concerning.
▶ 4:24:04In just the past few years, we've witnessed multiple cases that put our most vulnerable population our babies, our infants, at risk. From the 2022 contamination that triggered a nationwide shortage to a recent outbreak linked to contaminated formula that sickened dozens of babies. These incidents underscore a systemic failure that cannot be ignored. At its core, this legislation is about accountability, prevention and trust.
▶ 4:24:33Parents should never have to question whether the food they are giving their newborn is safe here in america, having to worry if the formula is safe. Yet under the current system, gaps in testing, inconsistent standards and delayed reporting have created unacceptable risks. We have an obligation to learn from past failures and act decisively. This legislation does exactly that. It strengthens oversight, restores confidence in the system, and prioritizes the well-being of families across this country.
▶ 4:25:03On behalf of all of our kids, all of our babies and I will slip in my seven grandchildren, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and to take an important step toward ensuring that every parent can trust the safety of the formula in this country, I yield back. >> thank you. Gentlelady. Are there others wishing to address the amendment?
▶ 4:25:26If not, there is a at the desk an amendment in the second degree offered by the gentlelady from oklahoma, miss vice lady, requesting an amendment be read. Or would you. >> suspend the reading of the amendment? Mr. chairman, I ask unanimous consent. Unanimous consent to suspend the reading of the amendment. >> okay.
▶ 4:25:49Without objection, the reading of the second degree is dispensed with and the gentlelady is recognized for remarks on her second degree amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. And I want to thank the ranking member for highlighting this important issue. I have been working on this almost since I got to congress, uh, because of the original infant formula shortage. And now this issue that has come up most recently. That being said, I think that the original amendment that the ranking member put forward was a little too prescriptive.
▶ 4:26:18And as we have heard from the chair of the subcommittee, this is an issue that is also being discussed in the energy and commerce committee today. And so I ask that my amendment be passed in a substitute of Mr. laura's amendment, which gives a little bit a little more flexibility to the fda. This is an important issue, no doubt. Uh, we need to make sure that formula is safe. And let me be clear formula is safe.
▶ 4:26:45Uh, our moms across the country, um, you know, can, can rest assured that this is an issue the fda is, is concerned about and that they are looking at, but I think more could be done, which is why I would ask my colleagues to consider adopting this second degree amendment. And I yield the balance of my time. >> thank you. Gentlelady. The gentleman from georgia, Mr. bishop, is recognized to address the amendment in the second degree.
▶ 4:27:14>> I have no objections to the amendment. >> uh, gentleman from maryland. >> yield back. >> thank you. The gentleman from maryland, doctor harris, is recognized to address the amendment. >> uh, thank you, Mr. chairman. I have no objection to the second degree amendment. I think this makes it clear that the committee is interested in this topic. We want something to be done. We ask the fda to study it on. And again, we urge our colleagues in energy and commerce to deal with this as well. Yield back.
▶ 4:27:41>> thank the gentleman, the gentlelady from connecticut, Mr. laura, is recognized to address the amendment in second degree. >> thank you very much, Mr. Mr. chairman, I want to say a thank you to my colleague, congresswoman, uh, bice, um, I was here to.
▶ 4:27:56It was really a tragic experience watching a families go from town to town, just frantic that they were able to be able to get, um, and in that case, to get infant formula. In that case, it was the failure of the company who sold a contaminated product and of the fda for not addressing it as quickly as they should have. So I appreciate and was happy to work with your team.
▶ 4:28:24I rise to support the second degree amendment. It preserves the essence of the amendment. I thank you for your willingness to work together. Um, our baby's health is not a partizan issue. It really isn't their ideas of how to improve the safety and resilience of our infant formula supply chains. So I welcome the healthy, healthy debate on this, uh, of this topic. The amendment is a compromise. I'm glad that we could reach it.
▶ 4:28:50Um, it's not everything that I wanted, but, you know, that's, that's the way life is. Um, but it provides a bipartisan path forward on a critical issue. And I would just say this, I just say this to you, Mr. chairman. We have oversight, um, uh, over spending here. We have a right to direct agencies that we find when they should be continuing to tackle, um, babies. Babies can't wait. You know, we can't wait. Hopefully enc is going to do what they're doing, but we have jurisdiction in this area as well.
▶ 4:29:20We can and we should act. So, um, I want to urge my colleagues to support this amendment and I yield back. >> thank the gentlelady. The chair feels compelled that, as you point out, the gentlelady does get a lot of what she puts her mind on, and she wants to get amazingly effective, uh, gentlelady from oklahoma is recognized for one minute. Are there any other members wishing to speak on the amendment?
▶ 4:29:50Seeing none, gentlelady is recognized for one minute to close. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. I urge adoption of the amendment and I yield back. >> gentlelady. The question is now on the second degree amendment offered by miss rice. All those in favor say aye. Those opposed say no. You're paying the chair. The ayes have it. We now we will now return to the amendment offered by miss delauro, as amended. Gentlelady. Want to close? Okay.
▶ 4:30:23Poured it. All right. Persuasive. Um, do any members seek recognition? Speak on the amendment as amended. Seeing none. The questions on the amendment offered by miss blair. All those in favor, say aye, I opposed. Mr. chair. The ayes have it. The amendment is as amended. Is adopted. Adopted. >> thank you very much. >> uh, gentlelady from maine, miss pingree is recognized for an amendment.
▶ 4:30:56>> that's going to move to dispense with the reading. >> of it. Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with. The gentlelady is recognized for remarks on her amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chair. This amendment is about the deep concerns I have about staffing levels at the usda, particularly staffing in those offices back in our home districts. Um, my amendment would restore the staffing levels at the usda before doge and the drp in the reorganization went into place.
▶ 4:31:24Staff has been decimated at the agency, but not just the staff in dc. We're talking about county offices, the boots on the ground, the people who work directly with farmers, uh, the people who we all are deeply concerned about having sufficient numbers of back in our home districts in maine, our nrcs staff lost five engineers. Hiring new engineers is very problematic because the salaries offer offered are are usually substantially less than in the private sector.
▶ 4:31:52The lack of engineers means that producers are reluctant to even sign contracts, concerned that they will not get timely information to be able to complete their practices. Currently, it can take weeks to get an answer to a simple question about an engineering practice. This is frequently happening when contractors are on site or planning to be on site, and these delays are costly and can even have an agreement making making an agreement with the nrc's impractical.
▶ 4:32:21Farmers are also concerned that their contracts will suddenly be terminated. Terminated, which is what happened last year in one of our county offices. They have a district conservationist, and that's it for the entire county. No other staff. I have one farmer who applied for the new regenerative agriculture pilot program and has been waiting months to hear back.
▶ 4:32:42I've heard that there's another fsa person in maine that there's only one fsa person in maine who can approve loans, which takes up to six months to get an answer, and by that time, the growing season is often over and the farmers had to make that decision. Our farmers don't need more uncertainty.
▶ 4:32:58They look to the federal government to provide certainty and support so they can farm successfully and feed our country, but they are encountering more uncertainty, which is highly stressful, expensive and not at all supportive of our american farmers. So I urge the members to support this amendment, and I yield back.
▶ 4:33:29>> thank the gentlelady for amendment. The gentleman from maryland, doctor harris, is recognized to address the amendment. >> uh, thank you very much, Mr. chairman. I rise in opposition to the amendment. Uh, in an era of unrelenting $2 trillion deficits, I applaud the trump administration for working to rightsize the federal government focus agencies on core mission areas and save taxpayer dollars.
▶ 4:33:53Our constituents sent us to washington to ensure that we're spending their taxpayer dollars wisely, to look over the federal government and to make sure that we are, uh, we are rightsizing the federal government, not locking in the bureaucracy to where it was.
▶ 4:34:14And to do that, we need to give the administration flexibility to continue to optimize those staffing levels, not freeze them into some, uh, again, bureaucratic size that was here a couple of years ago. I urge my colleagues to oppose the amendment. >> thank gentleman for his remarks. The gentleman from georgia, Mr. bishop, is recognized to address the amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. I rise in support of this amendment.
▶ 4:34:39This amendment ensures that usda has the workforce that's necessary to carry out its responsibilities to farmers, to rural communities, and to families across the country. It withholds a portion of funding for the office of the secretary until staffing levels are restored to where they stood before the trump administration. Reductions.
▶ 4:35:00Over the past several years, usda has experienced significant staffing challenges that have weakened its ability to deliver programs effectively. When staffing levels drop, service suffers from delayed assistance to farmers to slower processing of applications and reduced technical support. These impacts are felt most acutely in rural communities that depend on usda programs for conservation, for housing and economic development.
▶ 4:35:29The trump administration's approach to workforce reductions and disruptions has contributed to these capacity challenges. Congress has a responsibility to ensure that taxpayer funded programs are administered efficiently and effectively. This amendment provides a clear incentive for the department to rebuild its workforce and restore operational capacity.
▶ 4:35:57It does not permanently reduce funding or impose arbitrary cuts. It simply conditions a portion of funding on meeting a reasonable staffing benchmark. Strong staffing levels are essential to implementing the programs that are funded in this bill, and it ensures that resources reach the people that they intended to serve. Without adequate personnel, even well-funded programs cannot deliver results.
▶ 4:36:27This is a common sense accountability measure to make sure that usda is equipped to do its job. I support adoption of the amendment. Congratulate the gentlelady for offering it, and I yield back. >> thank the gentleman for his remarks. Are there other members wishing to address the amendment? Gentlelady from ohio, miss kaptur's recognized. >> I thank you, Mr. chairman.
▶ 4:36:53I rise in strong support of the amendment offered by my friend miss pingree. And, um, the first question I want to ask is, what does elon musk know about agriculture in any part of this country? Okay, so let's start with that question. The bill proposes a nearly a 20% increase for the office of the secretary here in washington.
▶ 4:37:20And at the same time, it reduces funding, uh, for the individuals who work with our farmers on the ground, the people who really know what's going on in different regions of the country. Just in ohio, the net effect of this, uh, if we don't pass her amendment, we already lost 261 usda employees at an ohio is a big agricultural state. That's 16% of our state's department of agriculture workforce. Now, think about this.
▶ 4:37:49The, um, input costs are rising. We face in our region of ohio, uh, the future of something called lake erie. And over in new york, lake ontario, they're the two most troubled lakes out of the great lakes system, the largest body of fresh water on earth. We have to have new crop cover. We have to have new farming techniques to help us get through and preserve our life source.
▶ 4:38:18Really, we need experts to help our farmers do this. And it's quite complicated. I'd love to lecture for three hours on what it takes, but, um, our weather events are getting worse. We had a couple years of drought. We're not totally recovered from that. If we don't get rainfall 18in down, we don't have a good crop this year. And there are questions about that. This takes very careful tending of land. You just don't write a bill in washington and think it's going to work in places that we represent. The costs of production are rising.
▶ 4:38:45And, uh, just to remind everyone, farm suicides are at record levels all across our country. Why would you cut the people who are really, uh, the, uh, frontline workers to help what's left of american agriculture? Um, why would you cut them? And the farmer bankruptcies. Look at any chart. Look at any of our farm. Bankruptcies are skyrocketing across the country. It's a really precarious situation that we face.
▶ 4:39:15So I support the gentlelady's amendment. It's just sensible. And why would you increase? Or I could tell you stories about the department of agriculture here in washington. When we tried to open the farmer's market several years ago on their property, our biggest enemy was the U.S. department of agriculture in washington, D.C. and we said we're trying to create farmers markets all around the country so we can sell our local produce and help our farmers survive. The day we dedicated it was brutal.
▶ 4:39:43It was 100 degrees, and we had all these customers coming from off the mall who were buying the food produced by virginia and maryland farmers. And all these usda employees were looking out the window. I'll never forget up there on the top floor. And I looked I said, you are our worst enemies. Look at this. I said, look at the business here for our local farmers. So I don't think usda, sometimes here in washington really understands the connection between their funding and what actually happens on the ground.
▶ 4:40:11So I support the gentlelady's amendment and urge strong support. >> thank the gentlelady. Are there other members wishing to address the amendment? Seeing none, the gentlelady is recognized for one minute to close. >> thank you very much. >> Mr. chair, and thank you to everybody who has risen in support of this. And I. I know this is a bipartisan issue. I've served many years on the agriculture committee.
▶ 4:40:36And one of the things that we hear most often from farmers, from others who testify is there's never enough boots on the ground. If we really want our farmers to be able to take advantage of the grant programs, of the opportunities that we provide them, they need those engineers. They need the people to make the loan decisions. They need the people in the offices to do the work.
▶ 4:40:55So I would say this should be a high priority of this committee, making sure that we have the staff available and that it's not randomly cost cut, whether it's by elon musk or the reorganizations that are going on there now. Uh, the chair in his opposition to this said that we have big deficits and we have to spend our money in other places. Well, we're here discussing the usda appropriations bill, the agriculture appropriations bill. And I think we should be thinking about american farmers.
▶ 4:41:23And if we're going to talk about where to spend our money, we shouldn't be talking about a 40% increase to the defense appropriations bill or spending up to $25 billion already in a war of choice in iran. We need to put that money to american farmers so they can grow food here in america. I urge everyone to support this, and I yield back. >> I thank the gentlelady. The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentlelady from maine. All those in favor say aye. All those opposed say no. >> no.
▶ 4:41:54>> chair. The nos have it. Roll call has been requested. Sufficient support has been demonstrated. The clerk will call the roll. >> Mr. aderholt. Mr. aderholt. No. Mr. aguilar, Mr. aguilar, I, Mr. alford, Mr. amodei, Mr. amodei. No. Mrs. vice. Mrs. bice. No. Mr. bishop. Aye. Mr. bishop I. Mr. calvert, Mr. calvert. No. Mr. carter. Mr. carter. No. Mr. case. Mr.
▶ 4:42:23Case I Mr. cisco. Mr. cisco. No. Mr. klein, Mr. cloud. Mr. cloud. No. Mr. clyburn. Mr. clyburn I. Mr. clyde. Mr. clyde. No. Mr. cole. No. Mr. cole. No. Mr. cuellar, Mr. cuellar, I miss dean, Mr. lauro, Mr. lauro, I, Mr.
▶ 4:42:54Diaz-balart, Mr. edwards, Mr. ellzey. Mr. ellzey. No. Miss. Escobar. Mr. espaillat, Mr. espaillat I. Mr. fleischmann, Mr. fleischmann. No. Miss. Frankel, miss. Frankel, I. Mr. franklin, Mr. franklin. No. Mr. guest. Mr. guest. No. Mr. carter. Mr. carter. I. Doctor. Harris. Doctor. Harris. No. Mrs. henson. Mrs. henson. No. Mr. hoyer, Mr. hoyer I Mr.
▶ 4:43:24Iv, Mr. iv, I Mr. joyce, miss kaptur, miss kaptur I. Mr. Mr. lalota. No. Miss. Lee. Miss. Letlow, Mr. levin. Mr. levin, I. Miss. Molloy, miss. Molloy. No. Miss mccollum. Miss mccollum. I miss. Ming, miss ming I. Mr. molinari, Mr. mulliner. No. Mr.
▶ 4:43:55Moore, Mr. moore. No. Mr. morelli. Mr. merman, Mr. mervyn I. Mr. newhouse, Mr. newhouse. No. Miss. Perez, miss. Pingree, miss. Pingree, I. Mr. pocan, Mr. pocan, I Mr. quigley. Mr. quigley, I. Mr. guy reschenthaler. Mr. rogers, Mr. rogers. No. Mr. rutherford. Mr. rutherford. No. Mr.
▶ 4:44:24Shreeve, Mr. shreeve. No. Mr. simpson, Mr. simpson. No. Mr. strong, Mr. strong. No. Mrs. torres. Mrs. torres, I miss. Underwood, miss underwood, I. Mr. valadao, Mr. valadao. No. Miss. Wasserman. Schultz, miss. Wasserman. Schultz. I. Mrs. watson. Coleman, miss. Watson. Coleman. I. Mr. womack, Mr. womack. No. Mr. zink, Mr. zink.
▶ 4:44:55No. >> are there any members wishing to record their vote or change their vote? Gentleman from florida. >> Mr. diaz-balart. No. >> gentleman from virginia. >> Mr. klein, no. >> gentleman from ohio. >> Mr. joyce? No. >> gentleman from missouri. >> Mr. alford, no. >> gentleman from north carolina. >> Mr. edwards, no. >> gentlelady from pennsylvania. >> miss dean, a. >> gentleman from new york.
▶ 4:45:24I do not believe gentleman is recorded. >> Mr. morelli, I. >> are there other members wishing to record or change their vote? Seeing none, the clerk will tally.
▶ 4:46:14On this vote. The eyes are 25, the nose are 33. The amendment is not agreed to. Gentlelady from maine. Miss pingree is recognized for an amendment. >> at the desk. I move to dispense with the reading. >> without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with, and the gentlelady is recognized for remarks on her amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chair. Um, this one I can make.
▶ 4:46:42Pretty simple. Uh, it doesn't cost as much money. It's really just to ask for a study. It's because I am deeply concerned about the cuts to the energy programs of reap and the high energy cost grants, um, along with the usda reap freeze are impacting energy costs for rural small businesses and farmers. So we all know that energy costs are very high right now. And farmers are particularly impacted by this.
▶ 4:47:08And these programs that are now being targeted and cut are extremely important to helping producers to bring down the costs. We've heard from so many producers in maine, rural businesses about the value of these programs. I just want to give you a couple examples of what some of the things have been done through reap. In our state, there was $170,000 grant for eagle industries, a small metal fabrication business in hollis. Roof mounted solar.
▶ 4:47:36It generated 8,288% of their business energy use last year, saving them a considerable amount of money. $48,000 went to farmers. Kev's organic and organic vegetable farm, located in west gardiner, to install ground mounted solar.
▶ 4:47:53The system generated 100% of their business energy use last year, and there was a $376 $376,000 grant to cedar works, a wonderful manufacturer of children's playground equipment. You also use a solar generates an enormous percentage of their business energy use last year, and it means that we're burning that much less coal and using that much less energy.
▶ 4:48:21It's mind boggling to me that the usda currently has frozen reap awards at a time of high energy costs. So I'm merely asking for a study so that we can all better understand how this impacts our farmers and how it is increasing their costs and making it increasingly difficult for farmers to stay in business. So I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back. >> thank you, gentlelady, for her remarks.
▶ 4:48:48The gentleman from maryland, doctor harris, recognized respond to the amendment. >> thank you very much. And of course, everybody's concerned about the high cost of energy, but a lot of that has been due to some of the green energy policies that that insist on installing energy that's just very expensive to, uh, to produce. So I rise in opposition to the amendment. You know, I go home, I drive down route 50 to ocean city. I urge all of you, it's pretty close. Come through the district and drive.
▶ 4:49:16And almost every single month I drive down, there's another field that used to be growing corn and soybeans to feed our chickens that now is covered in silicone. That's it. It's silicon panels, solar panels, prime farmland. And the us government is responsible for that because we subsidized it and we paid for it, and we removed prime prime farmland out of production.
▶ 4:49:40What a shame, because on the eastern shore of maryland, the economy depends on whether or not we can grow the corn and soybeans to feed our chickens, because if we don't grow it here, we can't afford it because you folks in the midwest grow it pretty, pretty well. But we got to transport it to maryland, and if we add the transport cost it no longer, it will destroy our poultry industry.
▶ 4:50:04So I applaud secretary rollins for taking the bold position of saying, we're not going to subsidize putting solar panels on prime farmland. That is the right policy for our farmers and our agricultural community. If we want to reduce our agricultural trade deficit, we better not be taking agricultural land out of production, especially prime farmland. And that's exactly what we were doing under the policies of the biden administration.
▶ 4:50:33We were taking prime agricultural farmland out of production and subsidizing it because, ladies and gentlemen, if you don't subsidize that solar, up until a couple of years ago, it didn't pay. You had to subsidize it. In fact, we heard in advocating for this amendment, the gentlelady from maine mentioning rooftop panels. I urge all of you to go and google what the levelized cost of energy is for various production methods.
▶ 4:51:00The highest levelized cost of energy. That is, it takes into consideration all the other things besides the solar panels. So for instance, you have to hook up to a grid. You have to have reverse the ability to reverse flow to a grid. Um, you have to take into account subsidies that occur the highest means of producing energy is rooftop solar. And here we have the U.S. department of agriculture spending money on rooftop solar.
▶ 4:51:30If we want to help rural communities, let's advance the development of small modular reactors. Let's bring those types of energy developments into rural communities. Let's stop the restriction like we have in maryland of burning clean, natural gas to produce energy. Because, ladies and gentlemen, that's the that's one of the lowest costs levelized costs of energy burning clean natural gas. And we have we have people from pennsylvania. Thank you very much. Pennsylvania produce a heck of a lot of natural gas.
▶ 4:52:00You produce it very cheaply and we can produce cheap energy. What this amendment does is let's go back and look at those failed. Let's go back and look at those failed programs. Let's let's study them a little more. They did fail because they were grants to buy very expensive sources of energy. That's not what our rural communities need. Our rural communities need rational policy on burning fossil fuel. For instance, in the united states, they need rational policy on advancing small modular reactors for rural communities. That's what they need.
▶ 4:52:29This amendment would only create a lengthy and costly evaluation, unlikely to provide clear or useful benefits for near-term decisions. And I specifically disagree with it. Looking at the restrictions the secretary has put on prime farmland, I know our farmers look, they're under stress. They look at the economics. And because of the subsidies provided that industry, a lot of them made the decision to put solar panels on that farmland.
▶ 4:52:58We can't be encouraging that decision. We have to do whatever we can to strengthen our farm community and to keep the land in production, and to make sure that we are lowering energy costs by by allowing the development of the lowest cost methods of energy sources of energy. Again, whether it's natural gas, we're blessed with, whether it's clean burning coal, these are the things we should be doing.
▶ 4:53:23Usda evaluates this kind of information as it reviews the health and oversight its portfolios. Congress does not need to direct a duplicative, wasteful expenditure of resources, and I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment. >> Mr. bishop. >> you're recognized, sir. >> thank you. I. >> I agree with. >> uh. >> the chairman, that the right policies, what we need to have.
▶ 4:53:50But I must caution and lay out to the committee that reasonable minds can disagree on what the right policy is. And what this amendment does is it allows a professional look at what is the right policy. And I rise in support of this amendment because it ensures that congress can get a clear, independent assessment of how the recent policy decisions are affecting energy costs in rural america.
▶ 4:54:19It erects the government accountability office to evaluate the impacts of these proposed cuts to the rural energy for america program. The reductions in the high energy cost grants and usda's freeze on the solar energy projects. It doesn't just assume or take for granted that this is true. We want to find out. We want to get the facts.
▶ 4:54:42These programs have long helped farmers and rural businesses to lower their energy costs through efficiency improvements and renewable energy investments. When those investments are scaled back or halted, producers and small businesses like those in my district in southwest georgia are left with higher operating costs. Energy is a significant expense in agriculture.
▶ 4:55:05It affects everything from irrigation and processing to storage and transportation for small rural communities and businesses. Higher energy costs can mean tighter margins, reduced hiring and even closures. The trump administration's decision to freeze or reduce support for these projects has created uncertainty, and it has disrupted planned investments.
▶ 4:55:34Even some businesses that had made loans anticipating the support for these projects. At the same time, many rural communities already face disproportionately high energy costs compared to urban areas. These combined factors raise serious concerns about affordability and economic viability in rural america. This amendment does not prejudge the outcome.
▶ 4:55:59It simply asks gao to provide an objective, data driven analysis. That information is essential for congress to understand the real world impacts that these policy choices will reveal. If costs are rising as a result of these actions, we need to know and we need to respond accordingly.
▶ 4:56:24This is a common sense oversight step to ensure accountability and to inform our future decisions. I support the adoption of the amendment. I congratulate the lady for offering, and I yield back. >> thank the gentleman. Um, mister laura, I believe you, uh, want to be recognized. Please. You're recognized. >> thank you very much.
▶ 4:56:53I rise to support this amendment. Electricity costs have risen by nearly 10% in the past year. Diesel prices have also spiked 46% since the president launched his war of choice in iran at the end of february. These increases hit rural areas even harder.
▶ 4:57:11A recent study from the national association of state energy officials found that the energy burden for rural households was about 33% higher than the national average 3.3% of household spending, largely due to higher, higher home heating and cooling costs and longer commutes requiring more fuel. This difference in energy burden is even more drastic for low income rural households, who spend an average of 9% of household income on energy.
▶ 4:57:42There is no relief in sight. Average annual residential electricity prices are predicted to rise by over 5% this year, according to the energy information administration. The war in iran has continued to spike fuel and fertilizer costs. We need serious investments in our energy grid, particularly in rural areas, to address these costs of. This amendment, prioritizes funds for those projects, directly, lowers costs for rural households and small farms.
▶ 4:58:10This could include installing solar on barns, poultry houses and other small businesses, or helping farmers to install more energy efficient systems, such as replacing diesel engines with electric motors. That. That is why it's worth noting, again, that this bill cuts back loans under the existing rural energy for america program by half, while eliminating all grant funding.
▶ 4:58:36More than 25,000 projects have been funded through the program, helping people across all 50 states reduce their energy costs. And over two thirds of grants have gone to republican led districts. More than 25% of all reap grant funding has gone to just 20 congressional districts, and 18 of those districts are represented by republicans, including all of the top five highest reap grant recipients.
▶ 4:59:06$372 million in funding went to republican districts last year. That is, funding that directly helps their constituents with energy costs, in which they are preparing to cut in half. This amendment would help rural communities. This bill is preparing to leave behind. We need to bring down energy costs full stop. This amendment is designed to help the communities who need it most. I urge your support and I yield back.
▶ 4:59:44>> thank you. Thanks for the indulgence. Committee. Without. The gentleman from california is recognized to address the amendment. >> thank you. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. I rise in strong support of the amendment, and I want to state some basic facts about the rural energy for america program. And I ask everybody to just keep an open mind.
▶ 5:00:03This is a long standing bipartisan farm bill program, reauthorized under presidents of both parties that has provided billions in support to tens of thousands of farms, ranches and rural small businesses. It's a cost share program that requires significant private investment, often a majority share. It's not a handout. It's private capital being unlocked in rural communities in recent years.
▶ 5:00:27Yes, a large majority of those funded projects have been solar, but those solar projects were chosen, chosen by the farmers and the small businesses themselves based on what works economically, primarily sports, on site distributed energy projects, not utility scale development. So claims about paving over farmland are aimed at projects that this program simply does not fund.
▶ 5:00:51America is losing farmland every single day, and that's driven primarily by development and by economic pressure. Programs like reap, actually, and I've spoken to farmers myself about this. They help keep farms viable by lowering energy costs and diversifying income. Demand for reap consistently exceeds available funding, reflecting strong interest from rural communities across the country. A substantial share of funding goes directly to agricultural and resource based businesses.
▶ 5:01:22That's the backbone of rural america. And compared to overall energy subsidies, reap represents a pretty small investment that puts assets directly on farmers balance sheets. The emerging agrivoltaic practices, as they're called, show that energy production and agriculture can and do successfully coexist on the same land in many cases.
▶ 5:01:43So at a time of rising electricity costs, we should be doing all we can to support practical, cost saving energy solutions rather than kneecapping things that will actually bring costs down. Thank you, Mr. chairman. >> thank the gentleman. The gentlelady from ohio, miss captor, is recognized to address the amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. I rise in support of the amendment.
▶ 5:02:10Uh, and, uh, I spent a lot of time on the energy issue, and I sort of agree with a lot of those that have spoken on both sides of the aisle. But the most important thing we have to do in this country is to have competition and energy, or else prices won't go down for our people. And we also need innovation. There's no question that one of our biggest problems is old grid and getting on the grid, off the grid, and what we've provided as a nation to supply that new grid is very small.
▶ 5:02:39And so we're going to see problems across the country on the energy front, because we haven't moved fast enough working with the private sector in order to move into the modern age in this new, uh, in this new era, competition is very important in order to provide the new grid and. Science is needed. We've talked about nuclear, very small systems. They're being invented. They're not completely ready yet. Yes.
▶ 5:03:08Natural gas is, uh, chair harris has mentioned we have an unlimited supply at the ohio, um, pennsylvania border. Uh, they're all parts of an energy system that we're trying to make more competitive, but we can't turn our back on innovation. I represent the glass center of america. We're very proud of the solar systems that we are developing. Uh, we were the home of thomas alva edison, and now we're the home of harold mcmaster.
▶ 5:03:36He will be the thomas alva edison of this century. And we are growing these new technologies as a country. We can't turn our back on any one of them. And I would have to say, when you go out into these areas of the country, one of the real problems is, and I think chairman harris is right. Uh, let's put solar panels in a certain place where there's prime farmland. Well, the local zoning authorities and the county zoning authorities have to deal with that. They can't let prime farmland just be frittered away.
▶ 5:04:08Um, they have to find a way to protect the best lands in the country. That isn't something that our great grandparents faced in this country or our great great, great grandparents, but we truly are destroying agricultural platforms that should never be destroyed. How we get that to work between the federal government and the localities? I'm not sure. All I know is it's not happening in a very intelligent manner. Uh, right now it's purely a market driven, you know, by that land.
▶ 5:04:37And somebody wants to sell the land, but you give away irreplaceable farmland. Um, in addition, agriculture is changing. A lot of fruits and vegetables are now grown in four season facilities that are 100 acres or more in size. I represent some of them. They need 40% of their bottom line. And now 50% is power. We've got to work on perovskites.
▶ 5:04:58We got to work on different kinds of inventions to bring that new technology to american agriculture and to industry across this nation. So, um, I think that, uh, we can't ignore any sector, but we have to make them available, uh, intelligently.
▶ 5:05:18And I'll end with this story in a place called pioneer ohio, I was part of a ceremony where a mayor and council decided in this little town of about 5000 people at most, that they were going to buy some extra land adjacent to the municipality. They did that. They used their municipal power to create solar, and it will take about ten years to pay off the loan that they took out, but they will lower the bills of the people living in this area.
▶ 5:05:46They will attract industry because of that particular use of solar power. It didn't take any prime farmland. And by the way, the mayor's republican and I love the guy. Okay. Uh, he really did do something that no one else in the region has done in one of the most remote areas of ohio, one that was the hardest to settle. So this american, they're geniuses. I mean, they're figuring things out at the local level.
▶ 5:06:09And I just think that, um, this particular amendment will go a long way to help advance that kind of innovation. And that's where we need to be making intelligent decisions at every level. So thank you so very much. I support the amendment and yield back. >> thank the gentlelady for her remarks. Are there others wishing to address the amendment? Seeing none, the gentlelady is recognized for one minute to close. >> thank you, Mr. chair.
▶ 5:06:37>> I just want to remind people again that if there's a controversy or a difference of opinion around this, this is merely to ask for a study so that we can better understand how this these cuts in the freezes to reap and, um, the high energy cost grants will impact our farmers, because I think we all agree that in rural areas, energy costs are high. And anything we can do to help small businesses and farmers to cut those costs, it would also allow us to deal with facts. The chair stated that solar power is the most expensive form of power.
▶ 5:07:07I've never heard anyone say that. In fact, in many studies it cited as the lowest cost of power. And I'm a believer in all of the above. And we're just talking about taking one more opportunity away. Um, when we talk about using prime farmland, uh, for solar power, I don't I'm not in favor of that either. Most of these are rooftop solar or small uses of it on farms that are chosen by the farmer.
▶ 5:07:33And usually a farmer is using land that's not adequate for something else, or they're doing agrivoltaic, so they're able to graze under the solar panels or grow other crops that are compatible. So I just urge you to go along with this amendment and support this study, and we'll all have more information going into the future. And I yield back. >> thank you. Gentlelady. The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentlelady from maine. All those in favor say aye. All those opposed say no. The chairman no's have it.
▶ 5:08:02Roll call has been requested. Sufficient support has been demonstrated. The clerk will call the roll. >> Mr. aderholt. Mr. aderholt. No. Mr. aguilar, Mr. aguilar. Aye. Mr. alford. Mr. alford. No. Mr. amodei. Mrs. bice, Mr. bishop. >> aye. >> Mr. bishop. Aye. Mr. calvert, Mr. calvert. No. Mr. carter. Mr. carter. No. Mr. case. Mr. case I, Mr. cisco. Mr. cisco.
▶ 5:08:35No. Mr. klein, Mr. klein. No. Mr. cloud, Mr. clyburn, Mr. clyburn I. Mr. clyde. Mr. clyde. No. Mr. cole. No. Mr. cole. No. Mr. cuellar, Mr. clare, Mr. cuellar, Mr. cuellar. I miss dean, miss dean, I miss delauro, I Mr. I, Mr. diaz-balart, Mr. diaz-balart. No. Mr. edwards, Mr. edwards. No. Mr. lee. Mr. lee. No. Miss. Escobar, miss.
▶ 5:09:07Escobar, I Mr. espaillat, Mr. espaillat, I. Mr. fleischmann, miss frankel, miss. Frankel, I. Mr. franklin, Mr. franklin. No. Mr. guest. Mr. guest. No. Mr. harter, Mr. harter, I. Doctor. Harris. Doctor. Harris. No. Mrs. henson. Mrs. henson. No. Mr. hoyer, Mr. hoyer I Mr. iv, Mr. iv, I Mr. joyce, Mr. joyce. No.
▶ 5:09:34Miss kaptur, I miss kaptur, I Mr. lalota. Miss lee. I miss lee, I miss letlow, Mr. levin. Mr. levin, I miss molloy, miss molloy. No. Miss. Mccollum, miss mccollum, I miss ming, miss ming I Mr. molinari, Mr. molenaar. No. Mr. moore, Mr. moore. No. Mr. morelli. Mr.
▶ 5:10:08>> moran excuse. >> me. >> Mr. mervyn I. Mr. newhouse, Mr. newhouse. No. Miss. Perez, miss perez, I miss pingree, miss pingree, I. Mr. pocan, Mr. pocan, I Mr. quigley. Mr. quigley, I Mr. reschenthaler. Mr. rogers, Mr. rogers. No. Mr. rutherford. Mr. rutherford. No. Mr. shreeve, Mr. shreeve. No. Mr. simpson. Mr. simpson. No.
▶ 5:10:39Mr. strong, Mr. strong. No. Mrs. torres. Mrs. torres, I miss. Underwood, miss underwood, I. Mr. valadao, Mr. valadao. No. Miss. Wasserman. Schultz, miss. Wasserman. Schultz. I. Mrs. watson. Coleman, Mrs. watson. Coleman. I. Mr. womack, Mr. womack. No. Mr. zink, Mr. zink. No. >> are there any other members wishing to cast their vote or change their vote? Gentleman from tennessee.
▶ 5:11:10>> Mr. fleischmann, no. >> gentleman from new york. I do not believe the gentleman is recorded. >> Mr. morelli, I. >> oh, gentlelady from oklahoma. >> Mrs. bice. No. >> good guess. Uh, any other members wishing to record their vote or change their vote?
▶ 5:11:39Seeing none, the clerks will tally. >> uh. Who failed? No. >> no, I passed. Well, they took the farm bill out of. >> yeah. >> they agreed. >> okay, okay, okay. They took it out on the floor. >> no. Yeah, I agreed.
▶ 5:12:10>> what are we doing? >> on this vote? The ayes are 28. The nos are 30. The amendment is not adopted. The gentlelady from new jersey, miss watson coleman, is recognized for the purpose of amendment. >> chairman, I do have an amendment on the desk.
▶ 5:12:37And I seek unanimous consent to consider it already read. >> without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentlelady is recognized for remarks on her amendment. >> I thank you again, Mr. chairman. My amendment would reinstate the usda household food security survey and subsequent report which. The bill under consideration today eliminates.
▶ 5:13:01For the second year in a row, the survey has existed for 30 years through both republican and democratic administrations. Yet it was the trump administration that cut funding for being, and I quote, redundant, costly, politicized, and does nothing more than fear monger.
▶ 5:13:24Whenever in my career did I think that I would have to stand up to remind my colleagues that being food insecure is scary, not knowing where your next meal is coming from, or how you are going to feed your family is frightening.
▶ 5:13:42The republican big ugly bill has cut $178 billion from snap, leaving 3 million people to worry about their next meal or if they're going to go to bed hungry. In my state of new jersey, 3000 people have lost access to snap.
▶ 5:14:01Many of my colleagues across the aisle represent states that food insecurity that are above have food insecurity above the national average, which we only know thanks to recent data. By this survey, further cuts would hurt their constituents disproportionately. You know, here are some of the numbers that we should be thinking about as we entertain this amendment and our work going forward.
▶ 5:14:306000 people in oklahoma lost access to snap thanks to the big ugly bill. And, you know, Mr. Mr. cole and miss bice, your districts are involved. They're 201,000 in texas. Representative carter, representative cloud and representative ellzey, those are your districts. I'm talking about 50,000 in louisiana.
▶ 5:15:02Representative letlow, there you go. 22,000 in mississippi. Representative guess that's mississippi three and so as you can see, this hurts both our republican districts as well as our democratic districts. Let me not leave out representative womack, because in your district, it's 11,000. Our our, um, our arkansans.
▶ 5:15:30And last but not least, in my little litany here, representative rogers, 17,000 in kentucky. So as I close, I want to remind my colleagues that gas is at its record, high, utility bills are skyrocketing, housing is unaffordable.
▶ 5:15:51And now republicans are forcing hard working families to choose between buying groceries or keeping the lights on, pretending that food insecurity does not exist because data is not being collected, does not make it go away. And ignoring the needs of our neighbors is antithetical to our purpose in congress.
▶ 5:16:13I urge my colleagues to consider the harms occurring nationwide, from the lack of data collection on food insecurity, and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment to reinstate the household food security survey, the gathering of information, and help guide nutrition and food policy for decades to come. Thank you, Mr. chairman. I yield back. >> thank the gentlelady for her remarks.
▶ 5:16:42The gentleman from maryland, doctor harris, is recognized to address the amendment. >> thank you very much, Mr. chairman. You know, wealthy states and we have representatives from some very wealthy states, I think actually offer the amendment is, uh, from one of the wealthiest states in the nation. They can do their own food surveys. They could actually pay for food programs. They might actually offer to cost share with the federal government for snap programs. What a novel idea.
▶ 5:17:12Just like the cost share for medicaid. Maybe they should cost share for snap programs. They are the wealthiest among the wealthiest states in the nation. But as part of the effort to rightsize the federal government, shrink the bloated bureaucracy, improve the efficiency of usda programs, the trump administration canceled this one national survey. That's it. The data previously collected in the household food security survey also happens to be collected in ten other national surveys.
▶ 5:17:41So is the 11th survey. The one that counts is the 12th survey the one that counts? Why would we be duplicating the work that's done in ten other services? And by the way, which rich states could do on their own. Because what the rich states are doing is asking the poor states to pay for surveys. That's not the way it should be.
▶ 5:18:05Rich states should pay for their own surveys, and honestly, they should have a little money left over to pay for some of the poor states to. So just because the usda stopped the publication of this one survey does not mean the federal government is no longer collecting data on food security. Their survey was canceled because it's duplicative of other surveys that usda and across the federal government and past surveys tended to be anything but objective.
▶ 5:18:31The household food survey dates to the clinton administration, and really is just served as little more than political cover to increase spending. How do we know that that might be true? Because the rates of food insecurity in the us remain stagnant, despite the fact that snap spending has more than doubled between the fiscal year 2019 and fiscal year 2023. Yeah, we stopped doing the survey because it was showing that food security is stable.
▶ 5:19:00And oh, by the way, we've doubled our snap spending and food insecurity is still stable. So I urge my colleagues to oppose the amendment. We don't need an 11th national survey on food insecurity, and I strongly suggest that rich states should do their own surveys, I yield back. >> thank the gentleman. The gentleman from georgia, Mr.
▶ 5:19:28Bishop, is recognized to respond to the amendment. >> I rise, Mr. chairman, in support of this amendment. Uh, this amendment restores a core federal responsibility measuring food insecurity accurately and consistently across the country. It requires usda to reinstate the household food security report and coordinate with the census bureau to resume the food security supplement.
▶ 5:19:57This is the gold standard. It's the most report repeated, the most respected, the most relied upon tool. Uh, these tools have long been the gold standard for understanding hunger in america and informing policy decisions. Without them, congress and the public are left without reliable, comparable data on food insecurity trends.
▶ 5:20:22This admits this administration has repeatedly tried to shut down access to information that would inform our policies, so that they could pretend that many of the problems that we try to address do not exist, because we no longer will have the data which they have ceased collecting.
▶ 5:20:46This is especially concerning at a time when many families are still struggling with high food prices and economic uncertainty. The usda's most recent available data showed that millions of households experience food insecurity every year, including the households with children. Eliminating or delaying these surveys make it harder to track whether the conditions are improving or getting worse.
▶ 5:21:14The trump administration's decision to cancel or disrupt this data collection, it undermines transparency, and it undermines accountability. We cannot effectively target nutrition programs or evaluate their success if we do not have accurate information.
▶ 5:21:36This amendment ensures continuity by requiring usda to use the same methodology and content as in their prior reports. That consistency is critical for identifying long term trends and making informed funding decisions. This is should not and is not a partizan issue. It's about maintaining the basic data infrastructure that supports sound policy making.
▶ 5:22:05I support the adoption of the amendment and I yield back. >> thank the gentleman for his comments. Are there other members wishing to address the amendment? Seeing none, the gentlelady from new jersey is recognized to close. >> seek recognition.
▶ 5:22:32>> interesting conversation coming from the chairman of the party. I mean the chairman of the committee. Same thing. Um, you know, uh, just for your information, we already send a lot more than we get, um, from the state of new jersey and states like that. But our concern just not just about what's happening in wealthy states or states in which wealthy people are getting wealthier and poor people are getting poorer. But we care about everybody.
▶ 5:23:00We're simply asking for the collection of information, accountability, transparency patterns that don't exist in this administration and patterns that the president doesn't want, and patterns that you all are so easily giving into him. So I simply ask you, why don't you want to know what the truth is?
▶ 5:23:22Why don't you want to know what really is happening in this country to families that are struggling every single solitary day in the wealthiest country in the world? And why do you care about whether or not this information and this request is coming from a wealthy state or a poor state, it probably helps your state. I know it helps this country, and I think that we should consider what's best for the country and not what's best for donald trump. And with that, I yield.
▶ 5:23:56>> back the gentlelady. The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentlelady from new jersey. All those in favor say aye. All those opposed say no. Opinion. The chair the nos have it. And the amendment is not adopted. Gentlelady from new york. Miss ming is recognized for the purpose of amendment. >> Mr.
▶ 5:24:26Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk and ask unanimous consent that its reading be dispensed with. >> without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentlelady is recognized for remarks on her amendment. >> for too long our government has looked the other way. While industry has put harmful chemicals and dyes into our food, these dyes have been linked to serious health harms such as behavioral impacts, inattentiveness, impaired memory and restlessness, including in our children.
▶ 5:24:53This is an issue both democrats and republicans have led on ranking member delauro. I worked with you and other members under the last administration to ban red three. I want to thank you for your leadership on that issue. As the chair of the congressional food safety caucus, which I'm a proud member of, this is an area with where I agree with some of this administration's efforts to.
▶ 5:25:17Last year, hhs secretary kennedy announced he and the fda would work together to phase out petroleum based dyes from our food supply, which I think is a great idea. That's why I introduced my ban harmful food dyes act, which would codify a ban on those dyes and would welcome support from my colleagues in this room for that effort. Even other countries have banned these dyes or placed stricter requirements on their use than we do.
▶ 5:25:47For example, the king was here yesterday. The uk has totally banned red 40, yellow five, and yellow six. Concerning the fda and hhs have been pulling back from their commitments. In a letter earlier this year to the food industry, not consumers, the fda said it would loosen enforcement of food dye labeling but banning toxic petroleum based dyes is popular with the american people and many of our constituents.
▶ 5:26:17That's why states led by both democrats and republicans, are leading the way from california to west virginia, texas to my home state of new york, more than 25 states are considering or have passed legislation to ban synthetic food dyes and other food chemical additives shown to be harmful. My amendment would simply request a report on the steps the fda has already taken to phase out the exact same dyes it already committed to phasing out.
▶ 5:26:47It's the same exact list. Congress shouldn't let the fda off the hook for the promises it made to phase out these harmful food dyes. I urge my colleagues, including my republican colleagues, to please support this effort. Thank you, Mr. chairman, and I yield back. >> I thank the gentlelady for comments. Gentleman from maryland, doctor harris, is recognized to respond to the amendment. >> thank you very much, Mr. chairman.
▶ 5:27:13I thank gentlelady from new york for bringing this to the attention of the committee. And, you know, I've spoken with commissioner mike carey specifically about this issue. He's on board with making sure the fda investigates these, make sure that they they come to a conclusion about what they should do for your list, as well as the list that they've already banned. So with that, in a kumbaya moment, I would suggest we accept the amendment.
▶ 5:27:43>> minor miracles do occur. Yeah. Uh, absolutely. Gentleman, my friend, gentleman from georgia is recognized. >> this amendment would. >> this amendment would direct the fda to report any actions the agency has taken to phase out and assist states in phasing out certain food dyes and petroleum based additives. And of course, as you've heard, last year, hhs and fda announced a voluntary plan to phase it out. Uh, that process is ongoing and it's not complete.
▶ 5:28:11And while the efforts have been made by the current and previous administrations to help eliminate the chemicals, we need to get an update on where we are glad the committee is working on it, glad we're having discussions, and hopefully that process will go forward. I yield back. >> thank you. Gentlemen. The gentlelady from connecticut, miss dolores, recognized to address the amendment. >> all I want to just say is I want to thank the gentlelady from new york for introducing this. And it's been accepted.
▶ 5:28:40And we have worked together on red dye in the past. Thank you for being part of the food safety caucus. We will continue onward. Thank you. Yield back. >> the gentlelady gentlelady from florida, miss wasserman schultz, recognized to address the amendment. >> thank you. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. And I'm also really pleased that, uh, chairman harris is accepting this amendment.
▶ 5:28:59I just want to illuminate a couple of things about the seriousness of needing to make sure that we can have transparency when it comes to these food dyes. I know many of you know that I'm a breast cancer survivor and someone who really, after going through 18 months of intense treatment and surgeries, um, really started looking at what I was ingesting and putting in my own body and what my children were, I have a
▶ 5:29:31Higher risk because I carry a genetic mutation that makes cancer more likely to begin with. Um, and so it really opened my eyes to making sure that I focus on healthy eating and eating clean, you know, the least processed food possible. Um, which isn't easy. Um, so when you're trying to avoid foods that contain synthetic petroleum based food dyes like red 40 and yellow five, those are linked to major health risks.
▶ 5:29:59For example, red 40 and yellow five are associated with tumor growth in animals, hyperactivity in children, and gastrointestinal intestinal issues. And here's the thing. Most americans have no idea that these dyes are in their food. So when a family picks up a box of mac and cheese or a bottle of salad dressing at the grocery store, they're not thinking about synthetic dyes. They're just trying to feed their kids. And right now, the fda does not require restaurants to disclose when their menu items contain these ingredients.
▶ 5:30:27And that's a problem because you don't want to, as a parent, unknowingly feed your children, uh, food with dyes that can cause them health problems cumulatively, cumulatively as they ingest these things down the road. So giving them accurate information about what goes into their food is really important, so they can make better choices for themselves and their families. And I can tell you, I could see it generationally in my own family.
▶ 5:30:54Once I taught myself to cook, which I could boil water and scrambled eggs, scrambled eggs, Mr. chairman. And that was it. Um, but once I, once I knew I had to eat healthier, I knew I had to make sure that I could ensure my children ate healthier. And we, you know, had sunday night family dinner at our house every sunday night.
▶ 5:31:12You know, since my kids were in middle school and it taught them to make healthier choices and also to learn how to cook, which is why you have some pretty special sourdough bread that was baked by my youngest daughter. And she, you know, learned and focused and was interested in doing that and thought about it, thought about what she put in her body as well.
▶ 5:31:32Um, so we need to pass this focus on the least processed, chemically infused food as possible into our children so that we can make sure we raise the next generation of healthy americans. I thank the gentlelady for her amendment and the chairman for supporting it, I yield back. >> thank the gentlelady. Are there others wishing to address the amendment? Seeing none, the gentlelady is from new york is recognized for one minute to close. >> I guess I won't read my long list of arguments in support of the amendment. Thank you, Mr.
▶ 5:32:03Chairman. Um, but this is evidence based. Uh, we know these dyes are harmful to our health, our children's health. Other countries are already ahead of us. It's a great bipartisan even issue. Um, to make sure that we are taking care of the food that we are putting in our own bodies and for our children. Thank you, I yield back. >> thank you. Thank the gentlelady. The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentlelady from new york. All those in favor say aye. >> aye. >> all those opposed say no opinion.
▶ 5:32:32The chair the ayes have it and the amendment is adopted. >> yay! >> gentleman from new york. Mr. espaillat is recognized for the purpose of an amendment. >> same kind of treatment. Now. >> uh, don't count on it. >> let's, let's. I feel we're on a roll. >> be courteous and polite. >> doctor harris. Are we in a roll?
▶ 5:32:59Alright, let's go back to reality. Uh, mister. Mister chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. Asked to dispense the reading. >> without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with. The gentleman is recognized for remarks on his amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. Uh, food stamps are life saving benefits that serve more than 40 million people across the nation.
▶ 5:33:26Not only is it essential in fighting food insecurity, but it also stimulates local economies across the country. When customers use food stamps in their communities, they are often supporting the revenue of a small, independent grocer. In some cases, 50% of the revenue of these grocers can be attributed to the sale made using food stamps.
▶ 5:33:53In my district, many new yorkers rely on their local bodega to purchase their food. As I mentioned in my opening statement, my district has some of the highest rates of food insecurity in the nation. For many, these bodegas are the only source of reliable food in their neighborhood.
▶ 5:34:13Oftentimes, these bodegas are run by immigrant families, by working class families, and they provide a vital, a vital importance to the neighborhoods. But this isn't just the case for urban environments like new york city. In rural areas, small family owned shops are the only place that offer fresh foods for miles.
▶ 5:34:39I've seen the rippling effects of this practice on bodegas in my communities. When they close, families must travel to a farther grocer and and low income area lose another source of economic output. The people employed by the grocers are out of a job. The closure of a business can send a sign to. To many that the neighborhood is no longer worth investing in.
▶ 5:35:07These grocers and food stamp recipients deserve to know how the 300 billion cut in the republican reconciliation bill will impact their lives. This amendment calls for a study of the impact of this practice on local grocers, both urban and rural. And I urge its adoption and support I yield back. >> thank the gentleman for his remarks.
▶ 5:35:34The gentleman from maryland, doctor harris, is recognized to respond to the amendment. >> thank you very much, Mr. chairman. I rise in opposition to the opponent. I appreciate, you know, the the circumstances of businesses that depend in the food, food, retail market generally. But the changes in the bill were work requirements. And we may have a disagreement that maybe work requirements shouldn't be required for welfare. On this side of the aisle. We generally think they should be.
▶ 5:36:03We could have a disagreement and program integrity. So I'm not sure what we want to reverse. Do we want to reverse program integrity? Do we want people who actually don't qualify, who are on the program in two different states? Et cetera. Et cetera. To get it, or do we want people who aren't willing to work to get it, to get that, to get that snap expenditure back up, that it would support those grocers? I would hold that we made the right policy decision. And the one big, beautiful bill, that work requirement is not unreasonable.
▶ 5:36:33And I have to tell you, when I go in my district and people ask me, well, what did you do to this snap program? We put a work requirement in, oh, I like that. Oh, I think that's a good idea. You mean you mean we didn't have one in. And when I say, oh, it's program integrity, we make sure people aren't cheating on the program, that they actually qualify for it. They say, oh, you mean we weren't doing that before? Yeah, we weren't doing that before. That's about right. So I empathize with the retailers.
▶ 5:37:01But the solution would be to go back and remove what we did in that bill, which I don't think is good policy. I don't think it's fair for the people who work hard for my hard working constituents who pay income taxes and who expect when someone goes for what is, in essence, a welfare program and they are able bodied, they're not taken care of, of a sick adult. They're not taking care of children. They choose not to work.
▶ 5:37:29They don't want their tax dollars going there. Now we might get another. We might have to find another way to help those small businesses. But the way to do it, I don't think, is to reverse good, good program policy. Working 2 or 3. So for that reason, I think that doing this study, um, again, I'm not sure what it would show.
▶ 5:37:50We might come up with other ideas to how to help those small businesses because goodness knows, small businesses in the country are the backbone a lot of communities. Uh, but I don't think this is the way to do it. So I urge my colleagues to oppose the amendment. >> thank the gentleman for his remarks. Gentleman from georgia. Mr. bishop's recognized to address the amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. This is just common sense. We should be making decisions based on data, not hunches.
▶ 5:38:19Uh, and we should want to know what the consequences of our policy decisions are. As I rise in support of the amendment, it addresses a critical, often overlooked consequence of snap cuts. Whatever the cause of these cuts, the impact on our local grocery stores that serve as essential community anchors.
▶ 5:38:43It directs the usda to analyze how the reductions, how the decisions that we are forcing them to make in snap benefits would affect independent grocers, especially in rural and low income areas where there are few providers of grocery stores. Uh, in the many communities, these stores are only the only nearby source of fresh and affordable food. Uh, independent grocers do a lot more than sell food.
▶ 5:39:11They employ local residents and they support broader economic activity in those communities. Snap is not just a nutrition program. It's a key driver of local economic stability. A usda has found that snap benefits generate economic activity, particularly in areas with limited retail options.
▶ 5:39:36For many small grocers, snap transactions make up a significant share of their total sales, and some low income communities that share can exceed 50% of revenue. Deep cuts to snap, like those proposed by house republicans, risk destabilizing these businesses and reducing access to food.
▶ 5:40:00When a local grocery store closes, communities often lose their only reliable access to fresh food. That creates ripple effects, including job losses and increased food insecurity. The trump administration and house republicans have not adequately accounted for these downstream impacts.
▶ 5:40:21This amendment simply asks for clear, evidence based assessment so that congress can understand the full consequences of these policy choices. Let's not put our heads in the sand. Let's understand what it is we're doing and what the expected and ordinary and probable consequences of these policy decisions will be. That's all that this amendment asks for.
▶ 5:40:51Let's get the facts and understand what damage we can potentially be doing and whether or not it is worth it. I support the adoption of the amendment, commend the gentleman for offering, and I yield back. >> thank the gentleman for his remarks. Are there others wishing to address the amendment? Seeing none, the gentleman from new york is recognized for one minute to close. >> Mr. chairman, thank you. Certainly.
▶ 5:41:21I opposed, uh, the work requirements. As I said earlier, food stamps are equivalent to less than $7 a day per person. Imagine, um, what that combined.
▶ 5:41:36So it's really not a program that will necessarily provide a healthy eating in a, in a way of fashion that families could lift themselves up from a food insecurity area, but it has helped nonetheless.
▶ 5:41:56And, and what I'm, what we're asking for through this amendment is simply a study of the impact of such practices. I oppose the work requirements, but this amendment is not referring to the work requirements.
▶ 5:42:16It's saying, can we look at this practice and see how it impacts small independent grocers, both rural and urban, and as stated by by the ranking member of the subcommittee, uh, the snap program.
▶ 5:42:34It's an important program in our local food economy, particularly in areas that are traditionally ignored or, or cannot, uh, provide the kind of opportunities for families there that other communities do.
▶ 5:42:53So this is simply an ask to, to study this, this issue and see what kind of an impact it can have on the community and small business owners. It may very well be that the result is that everything is fine, or that it leads to unemployment, that in fact, when these cuts are perpetrated, that people will be out of a job.
▶ 5:43:18It could very well be that these small, independent grocers are closing down or not. Therefore, it's impacting the tax base of those community. That's why we want to see the kind of impact that is having on the local economy. The other policy issues we can debate as well. But this is not what this amendment is asking for. And I, I still ask my colleagues to consider it and support its adoption.
▶ 5:43:48I yield back. >> I thank the gentleman. The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentleman from new york. All those in favor say I. I all those opposed say no. >> it. Ayes have it. >> he hasn't ruled. >> yet the opinion of the chair of the nos. >> have it. Okay, I have it. >> uh, roll call has been requested. Sufficient support has been demonstrated. The clerk will call the roll.
▶ 5:44:19>> Mr. aderholt. Mr. aderholt. No. Mr. aguilar, Mr. aguilar, I, Mr. alford, Mr. alford. No. Mr. amodei, Mrs. bice. Mr. bishop. >> aye. >> Mr. bishop I Mr. calvert, Mr. calvert. No. Mr. carter. Mr. carter. No. Mr. case. Mr. case I, Mr. eskamani. Mr. cisco. No. Mr. kline, Mr. kline. No. Mr. cloud, Mr. clyburn, Mr.
▶ 5:44:51Clyburn I. Mr. clyde. Mr. clyde. No. Mr. cole. >> no. >> Mr. cole. No. Mr. cuellar, Mr. cuellar I miss dean, miss dean, I miss delauro, I miss delauro, I Mr. diaz-balart, Mr. diaz-balart. No. Mr. edwards, no. Mr. edwards, no. Mr. ellzey. Mr. ellzey. No. Miss. Escobar, miss. Escobar, I Mr. espaillat, Mr. espaillat, I. Mr. fleischmann, Mr. fleischmann.
▶ 5:45:22No. Miss. Frankel, miss. Frankel, I Mr. franklin, Mr. franklin. No. Mr. guest, Mr. guest. No. Mr. carter. Mr. carter. I. Doctor. Harris. No. Doctor. Harris. No. Mrs. henson, Mrs. henson. No. Mr. hoyer, Mr. hoyer I Mr. iv, Mr. iv, I Mr. joyce, Mr. joyce. No. Miss kaptur, miss kaptur, I Mr. lalota. Mr. lalota. No. Miss lee.
▶ 5:45:52I miss lee, I miss letlow, Mr. levin. Mr. levin, I miss molloy, miss molloy no. Miss mccollum, I miss mccollum, I miss ming, miss ming, I Mr. molinari, Mr. mulliner. No. Mr. moore. Mr. morelli. I Mr. morelli, I. Mr. moran. Mr.
▶ 5:46:22Newhouse, Mr. newhouse. No. Miss. Perez, miss. Perez, I miss. Pingree, miss pingree, I Mr. pocan. Mr. pocan, I Mr. quigley. Mr. quigley, I. Mr. reschenthaler. Mr. rogers, Mr. rogers. No. Mr. rutherford. Mr. rutherford. Mr. rutherford. No. Mr. shreeve, Mr. shreeve. No. Mr. simpson. Mr. simpson. No.
▶ 5:46:55Mr. strong, Mr. strong. No. Mrs. torres. Mrs. torres, I miss. Underwood, miss underwood, I. Mr. valadao, Mr. valadao. No. Miss wasserman. Schultz, miss. Wasserman. Schultz. I. Miss. Watson. Coleman, Mrs. watson. Coleman. I. Mr. womack, Mr. womack. No. Mr. zink, Mr. zink. No. >> are there any members wishing to vote or change their vote? Gentlelady from oklahoma.
▶ 5:47:25>> I wish to be recognized that. >> Mrs. bice. No. >> are there any other members wishing to. Okay. In that case, the tally.
▶ 5:48:07Gentleman from west virginia. >> Mr. moore, votes no. >> on this vote. The yeas are 27, the no. 31. The amendment is not adopted. >> okay.
▶ 5:48:39>> gentlelady from pennsylvania. Miss dean's recognized for purpose of an amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. I have an amendment at the desk, and I ask unanimous consent to dispense with the reading. >> without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with, and the gentlelady is recognized for remarks on her amendment. >> thank you, chairman cole. I rise in support of my amendment, which restores the majority's proposed 300 million cut to food for peace title two grants and requires a comprehensive study on how recipient countries are selected for food assistance.
▶ 5:49:09At a moment when global global hunger is rising, driven by conflict, climate change and economic instability, this is not the time to retreat from one of our most effective humanitarian programs. Title two grants deliver life saving aid to countries facing acute food shortages, helping stabilize vulnerable regions before crises escalate into famine, mass displacement or broader conflict.
▶ 5:49:35This amendment also comes at a critical inflection point with the dismantling of usaid, as it was previously existing, and the transfer of food for peace to us. D a congress has a responsibility to ensure this program remains effective, transparent, and guided by humanitarian need, not by politics. That is why the study requirement is so important.
▶ 5:50:00It ensures accountability in how recipient countries are selected and helps safeguard the integrity of the program during the period of transition. We need these grants. Let's be clear title two grants are not just about assistance abroad. It's also a smart assistance right here at home. By purchasing U.S. grown commodities, we invest in american farmers.
▶ 5:50:24We support ranchers, our agricultural producers strengthen rural economies and reinforces our agricultural supply chain. And we know american farmers are already under real pressure from this administration's tariff policies and the rising costs tied to the conflict in iran. Now is the time to do more to support them, not less.
▶ 5:50:49This program advances our humanitarian values while also serving our strategic interests, building goodwill with partner nations, promoting global stability and helping prevent the conditions that lead to conflict and to insecurity. Cutting 300 million from this program sends the wrong message at the wrong time. It weakens our ability to respond to global crises, undermines our credibility as a reliable partner, and risks ceding american leadership to others.
▶ 5:51:20My amendment restores these critical funds and adds a layer of oversight to ensure the program is administered fairly effectively and in line with both our moral obligations and our national interests. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and reaffirm our commitment to fighting global hunger as we support american farmers. With that, I yield back. >> thank you, gentlelady, for remarks.
▶ 5:51:47The gentleman from maryland, doctor harris, recognized to respond to the amendment. >> thank you very much. I rise in opposition to the amendment. The bill already provides $900 million for the food for peace program. Uh, that's 900 million above the president's request and reflects the committee's commitment to this important domestic commodity program. I appreciate the gentlelady's interest in supporting this program, but we feel the bill already provides sufficient funding.
▶ 5:52:14Her amendment is improperly offset with emergency funds adding $300 million in new spending. I will say that I suspect the senate may take a different position from this, and we'll go to conference and we'll, you know, figure out where we end up, which is what happened last year, but without an offset. I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment. >> thank the gentleman for his remarks. The gentleman from georgia, Mr. bishop, is recognized to address the amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chairman.
▶ 5:52:40I commend the gentlelady for her amendment and I rise in support of it. This amendment would restore funding for food for peace to the fiscal year 2026 enacted level, and would provide congress with answers on the implementation of the program. Uh. Food for peace is a foreign aid program that consistently puts america first while helping those on the brink of starvation abroad.
▶ 5:53:04It supports american farmers, millers, and mariners while delivering critical assistance to people facing famine worldwide. According to usda, the us lost 15,000 farms in 2025. Arkansas, georgia, iowa and nebraska lead the nation in farm bankruptcies, which of this year up over 46%.
▶ 5:53:28And I've heard from farmers that they're selling off land to make ends meet and pay their debts from last year, at a time when farmers are already facing rising input costs, tight margins and economic uncertainty.
▶ 5:53:46We should not cut programs off that help them, and our farmers are proud to contribute to a program that helps people knowing that their commodities are making a global difference. I support the adoption of the amendment. I urge your support of it, and I yield back. >> thank the gentleman. Gentlelady from florida, miss wasserman schultz, is recognized to address the amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chairman.
▶ 5:54:13I rise in strong support of congresswoman dean's amendment. The majority on this committee paints the deep cuts to popular programs as the result of balancing what they call tough choices. This amendment is about a choice as well. Will the united states continue to lead with strength, compassion, and common sense, or will we walk away from one of the most effective tools we have to fight hunger, support american farmers, and project our values around the world.
▶ 5:54:41To me, supporting food for peace is not a tough call. I've seen it in action when I've traveled around the world. It isn't some abstract program with a complex formula. It deploys american grown crops to stop hunger and save lives. It's that simple. There's more than enough food produced in the world to feed everyone on the planet. But hundreds of millions still go hungry every year, and this program helps to close that gap.
▶ 5:55:08This program rewards the hard work of american farmers, growers, shippers, and longshoremen, leveraging their success into a force for global stability while investing in critical sectors of our economy. Food for peace sends an essential message the U.S. government is not just an insurance company with a navy, but a force for good and healing the world for generations, america understood that feeding people wasn't separate from our national security. It's an essential part of it.
▶ 5:55:34If parents can't feed their children desperation, instability, migration, extremism, and conflict inevitably follow. For many people around the world, a bag of american grains is the only time they come face to face with an american flag. And in places where americans don't travel, where nobody has met a U.S. soldier or a diplomat, that sack of lentils leaves a heck of an impression. It tells them something about who we are.
▶ 5:55:59When there's someone in need, america shows up turning our back on food for peace while millions around the world face famine, conflict and displacement. And while american farmers get choked out of business by trump's trade wars, is strategically foolish, doing so knowing that you're taking food from vulnerable children who will starve is a moral outrage.
▶ 5:56:19Perhaps some of you remember when I spoke before this committee about what it looks like when a child starves to death, babies who are too weak to cry, kids who can't stand up or speak because their muscles have dissolved away. Four year olds who will never grow tall with failing organs and sunken eyes. When I offered that description last year, 350,000 children had been deprived of U.S. food aid. Today, that total stands in the millions.
▶ 5:56:48Millions of hungry children. Don't desensitize yourself to that. Those numbers. Where is your outrage? And I don't want to hear ignorant comments about money being better spent here. First off, it is spent here. The produce is brought is bought right here from american farmers. And second, republicans are cutting food assistance to american children again in this same bill. So let's be clear about the choice you make.
▶ 5:57:16If you reject this amendment, it doesn't just mean more children die from the slowest, most painful death imaginable while their parents watch helplessly right next to them. Think about that. It also means more pain for american food producers, and more waste of taxpayer dollars from crops rotting in warehouses. And here at home, it means more volatility for american agriculture. That will leave more american kids missing more meals.
▶ 5:57:42This amendment offers a better choice sustain american leadership, support american farmers, cut grocery costs, and address the root causes of instability and violence abroad. We must fund food for peace, and I'm glad to hear the chairman referenced the conference process. When our process functions well, we end up making sure that we can come together and do the right thing. I hope that happens in the conference committee at the end of this process. I urge support of this amendment so we can buttress it from our point of view.
▶ 5:58:11Thank you so much, I yield back. >> thank the gentlelady. The gentlelady from florida, miss frankel, is recognized for comments on the amendment. >> hello. Thank you, Mr. chair. Um, I rise in support of representative dean's amendment that would reverse the republicans proposed $300 million.
▶ 5:58:38Cut to food for peace, returning to f 26 levels and require a report on the program's effectiveness amid the transfer of responsibilities to usda. Okay. Anyway, first I just want to say this. I love the farmers, I appreciate the farmers I. And I understand all the travails that farmers are going through today. I want to offer a little different perspective here because, um, this is not should not just be obviously about farmers.
▶ 5:59:08This was called this program is called food for peace. Peace, food for peace. Uh, because it is part of a strategy to keep, uh, countries areas stable so that we have peace. Uh, and let's start with the reality we're facing. There's probably almost 700 million people who are going to bed hungry every day.
▶ 5:59:37It's not just a humanitarian crisis. It is a national security issue. Um, because hunger does not stay contained when people can't feed their families, it fuels instability, migration, conflict and extremism. And desperation becomes a recruiting tool. A government's become weaker and regions be, uh, destabilize.
▶ 6:00:05And, and we know that those consequences don't just stay overseas. They, they reach our shores. And that's why food for peace for the last 70 years has been one of our smartest tools to address this issue. And it was a, it is or was a humanitarian program with a strategic purpose, uh, feed people today. So we don't send troops in tomorrow and food.
▶ 6:00:34And I want to emphasize this food assistance works best when it's paired with tools like clean water, basic health care, nutrition support, even cash or vouchers. So families can buy locally and, and recover. And that's how this program worked when it when it was implemented by usaid. So this move to usaid.
▶ 6:01:00Uh, is it's, it's like becoming simply moving commodities, uh, losing the flexibility to respond quickly and effectively in ways that actually stabilize communities. And so, uh, that's, that's why I do think the request for report and for a study is so important. So we can really think through what we are actually doing.
▶ 6:01:24So, you know, we, we can ask, you know, what, what's the greatest need, uh, for where should we actually be sending these the surplus? And instead of and prioritizing speed and flexibility and local and local solutions, uh, because I'm very, very concerned, uh, that we are by this transfer, we're losing the experts, we're losing the experts that that would
▶ 6:01:56Understand all this. So, uh, to me here, a little different point of view, but feeding starving people and building resilience, resiliency should be the mission. This program has always represented the best in american leadership, our generosity, our values, and our understanding that preventing hunger prevents conflicts. And really, uh, this to me, this should have been a debate in yesterday's budget.
▶ 6:02:25Uh, and obviously we're dealing with, with something that the administration did without congressional consent. I want, I want to emphasize again, they transferred I mean, this is like they transferred this program that was in the state department to now the department of agriculture without even talking to us. Hello, folks. We need to demand that the administration talks to us.
▶ 6:02:52And some thought goes in to what they're doing. Anyway. Uh, I do urge the restoration of the funding and that we, we get this report. So, so we can really focus on what food for peace has done best. And with that, I yield back. >> thank you. Gentlelady. Are there other members wishing to address the amendment?
▶ 6:03:16Seeing none, the gentlelady is recognized for one minute to close. >> thank you, chairman cole. And I thank my colleagues for speaking so eloquently about this issue. You know, aren't we all critical of the bogus names for legislation or for grants? But this is such a good, easy, understandable, well stated, concise name. Food for peace. The connection is so present.
▶ 6:03:45Uh, if we continue to not do our job as leaders in the american war in, in america, as an indispensable nation, if we fail to recognize starving people around the world, we are only walking ourselves into greater global conflict. Food for peace is an extraordinary program. It not only. This amendment not only supports global security. Our national security. It supports american farmers. How can we all not take that win win?
▶ 6:04:14Uh, and I want to echo what miss frankel just said. Are we not offended by the administration just shifting money that we appropriated, that congress passed and put into law our article one, section eight authority and shove it over to usaid without the oversight and without the legislative authority. So I wish that everybody here, republicans and democrats, would agree.
▶ 6:04:41Food for peace is a very important program. We need to understand how it's working and how it is not. I urge support of my amendment, and I yield back. >> thank the gentlelady. The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentlelady from pennsylvania. All those in favor say aye. >> aye. >> all opposed? Say no. >> no. >> can you chair the nos. Have it? A recount. I recount a recorded vote. Probably a recount too, in a minute.
▶ 6:05:11But a recorded vote has been requested. Uh, and sufficient support has been demonstrated. Clerk will call the roll. >> Mr. aderholt. Mr. aderholt. No. Mr. aguilar, Mr. aguilar. Aye. Mr. alford, Mr. alford. No. Mr. and Mrs. bice. Mrs. bice. No. Mr. bishop, Mr. bishop, I, Mr. calvert, Mr. calvert. No. Mr. carter, Mr. carter. No. Mr. case, Mr. case I. Mr. Mr. no.
▶ 6:05:42Mr. kline. Mr. kline. No. Mr. cloud. Mr. clyburn, Mr. clyburn I. Mr. clyde. Mr. clyde. No. Mr. cole. Mr. cole. No. Mr. cuellar, Mr. cuellar. I miss. Dean, miss. Dean I Mr. >> lauro I Mr. >> loro I, Mr. diaz-balart, Mr. diaz-balart. No. Mr. edwards, Mr. edwards. No. Mr. lee, Mr. lee. No. Miss. Escobar, miss. Escobar I. Mr. espaillat, Mr.
▶ 6:06:15Espaillat, I. Mr. fleischmann. Mr. fleischmann, Mr. fleischmann. No. Miss. Frankel, miss. Frankel, I. Mr. franklin, Mr. franklin. No. Mr. guest. Mr. guest. No. Mr. harter, Mr. harter, I. Doctor. Harris. Doctor. Harris. No. Mrs. henson, Mrs. henson. No. Mr. hoyer, Mr. hoyer I. Mr. iv, Mr. iv, I Mr. joyce, Mr. joyce. No.
▶ 6:06:43Miss kaptur, miss kaptur, I. Mr. lalota. Mr. lalota. No. Miss lee. Miss. Ludlow, Mr. levin, Mr. levin, I miss. Molloy, miss. Molloy. No. Miss. Mccullum. Miss mccullum, I. Miss. Miss. Miss. Ming. I. Mr. molenaar, Mr. molenaar. No. Mr. moore. Mr. moore. No. Mr. morelli. Mr.
▶ 6:07:15Morelli, I. Mr. mervyn. Mr. mervyn. I. Mr. newhouse, Mr. newhouse. No. Miss. Perez. Miss. Pingry, miss. Pingry. I. Mr. pocan, Mr. pocan, I Mr. quigley. Mr. quigley I. Mr. reschenthaler. Mr. rogers, Mr. rogers. No. Mr. rutherford. Mr. rutherford. No. Mr. shreeve, Mr. shreeve. No. Mr. simpson. Mr. simpson. No. Mr. strong, Mr. strong. No. Mrs. torres.
▶ 6:07:47Mrs. torres, I miss. Underwood, miss underwood, I. Mr. valadao, Mr. valadao. No. Miss. Wasserman. Schultz, miss. Wasserman. Schultz. I. Mrs. watson. Coleman, Mrs. watson. Coleman. I. Mr. womack, Mr. womack. No. Mr. zink, Mr. zink. No. >> any members wish to vote or change their vote? Seeing none, the clerk will tally.
▶ 6:08:26Gentlelady from nevada. Gentleman from maryland. Thank you. Sorry. >> I'm expecting to have to do
▶ 6:08:57More amendments. >> on this vote. The yeas are 27. The nos are 31. The amendment is not adopted. The gentlelady from texas, miss escobar, is recognized for the purpose of amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. I ask unanimous or I have an amendment at the desk, and I ask for unanimous consent to dispense with the reading.
▶ 6:09:23>> without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and gentlelady is recognized for remarks on her amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. Colleagues, I spoke on this amendment last year, but I will remind you about the conditions of what are known as colonias. And in texas, in the state of texas, we have a significant number of them.
▶ 6:09:46These are neighborhoods, small communities, generally in unincorporated parts of counties that have no water, no wastewater, or sometimes failing septic tanks. These are american cities, american families. And because of the way that they developed, they in many respects are like third world country conditions.
▶ 6:10:13I am seeking a level of $60 million funding. The current funding level in the bill for the work that is needed to bring up the conditions is 20 million a cut, a reduction in the normal appropriation?
▶ 6:10:37I am seeking your support so that we can help these families turn on their water faucet, and they can get water so that they can have functioning septic systems or functioning wastewater access. And my community alone, we have 50,000 U.S. citizens who are living without this very fundamental service of water and wastewater.
▶ 6:11:06And my community is not the only one in america. And so the least we can do is one of the wealthiest countries in the world is ensure that american families are not living under third world conditions. Mr. chairman, thank you for the time. I yield back. >> thank the gentlelady. The gentleman from maryland, doctor harris, is recognized to respond to the amendment. >> thank you very much, Mr.
▶ 6:11:36Chairman. I do rise in opposition to the amendment. We address the need the gentleman from texas spoke about for these communities to actually be enabled to tap into the resources that that are, that are available. I appreciate, you know, the amendments further would support the usda's water and waste disposal program, which obviously serves important functions in rural areas, including that rural area. But we think the bill has already struck a balance and already provides funding for the program.
▶ 6:12:04Again, we have, in the manager's amendment, adopted language that will encourage the department to connect these communities into the existing programs to take advantage of them. The amendment is also not offset and would force us to go beyond our allocation. So I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment. >> I thank the gentleman, the gentleman from georgia. Mr. bishop is recognized to address the amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. I rise in support of the amendment.
▶ 6:12:32This amendment restores funding for water and waste infrastructure and some of the most underserved communities in the country. The underlying bill cuts this funding from 60 million to 20 million, a reduction of two thirds. That's not a sum around the edges. It's a significant cut that will have real consequences on the ground.
▶ 6:12:54These funds support projects in alaska, native communities, native hawaiian communities, tribal native communities and colonias along the texas border. Many of these communities still lack reliable access to safe drinking water and adequate wastewater systems. In some cases, families are living without basic sanitation infrastructure that most of us in america take for granted.
▶ 6:13:21Usda has documented persistent gaps in water access and tribal and rural communities with public health implications. Cutting funding at this level will delay or cancel critical projects that are already in the pipeline. It'll also increase long term costs as infrastructure needs become more severe over time.
▶ 6:13:43The trump administration and house republicans are proposing to walk back investments in communities that can least afford it. This amendment simply restores funding to the level that congress provided last year. It's a reasonable, targeted correction that ensures continuity for essential infrastructure projects, access to clean water is not optional.
▶ 6:14:12It is a basic necessity and a public health priority. It is life. I support the adoption of the amendment and I yield back. >> thank the gentleman, the gentlelady from connecticut, miss flores, recognized to address the amendment. >> I rise in support of the amendment and I urge your support. Let me also say today that we need to recognize.
▶ 6:14:38Today is the birthday of our vice ranking member of the committee, Mr. morelli, here. So not asking, not asking for anybody's. Wears the crown. Where is the crown? Mr. morelli wears the crown. Wish you a great day in an evening vote yes, and I yield back. >> you were going to say. >> we can sing the song. Okay. Let's go. >> which one are we doing? The real winner or the. Banner? >> though the boehner one.
▶ 6:15:08>> okay, this is your birthday song. It doesn't last too long. Hey. Uh, uh, thank you very much. Uh, the gentleman from hawaii, uh, Mr. case is recognized to address the amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chair.
▶ 6:15:28I rise in full support of this amendment, which I have co-sponsored with my colleagues, and I want to start just by reading directly from your committee report in describing this particular program.
▶ 6:15:42And I quote, rural areas continue to face immense needs and challenges in attaining safe and clean water, and this program provides targeted and coordinated support for these communities and is essential for the delivery of safe, dependable and affordable water and wastewater to rural america, end quote. I think that doesn't describe it any better than that. I think we can all agree on that. I agree with your committee report in that way.
▶ 6:16:13Um, and in that light, um, this app description, uh, describes why this invaluable program should not be reduced to start with, the overall reduction in this program is 60.5 million from 445 million down to 385 million overall. And that takes many, many projects out of the mix.
▶ 6:16:34But there is a subset of rural america, a very unique subset, that this amendment goes directly to, where this reduction of 60.5 million is being felt disproportionately. And this subset is especially vulnerable to the health, safety, and other crises from insufficient water and waste disposal capacities.
▶ 6:16:57And I refer to colonias, uh, to american indian lands, to native alaskan lands, and to native hawaiian lands. And this subset of 60.5 million is being born, 40 million to that particular subset. And why is that? Why, when this subset is the most needy of all of the lands in rural america, are they being asked to bear this reduction?
▶ 6:17:24Um, and their challenges arise from really a combination of challenges that face indigenous peoples and related peoples throughout our country and the particular conditions of the lands that they inhabit. And I use the native hawaiians as one example.
▶ 6:17:40Uh, and this is both for the committee's education, because sometimes native hawaiian issues are quite a mystery to many of you, um, steeped in history and often unique to hawai'I, unique to the relationship between native hawaiians, the social political trust relationship between native hawaiians and the federal government. But the history in this department goes back to 1921, some 23 years after hawaii became a part of the united states.
▶ 6:18:06And at that time, native hawaiians were literally on the verge of extinction as a peoples and as a culture. And this congress adopted the very first, a law that directly impacted native hawaiians. It's called the hawaiian homes commission act. And what this law essentially did was to set aside 200,000 acres of hawaii for the use of native hawaiians to assist them with their housing, to assist them with the maintenance of their culture.
▶ 6:18:34And that law has stood for 105 years, and it has been enforced for 105 years. And there is a long body of history and application and funding that goes along with these hawaiian homelands. The dhhl lands. Now these lands, it was great news that they were set aside, but these lands were largely lands that were almost unutilized for any real purpose. No roads, no water systems, no wastewater systems.
▶ 6:19:02And yet today, 105 years later, they are critical to the native hawaiians and to our ability to provide for native hawaiians and for the trust relationship between native hawaiians and our country. And this particular program is critical to assisting native hawaiians on their lands, with their water systems, with their wastewater systems, and with their ability to utilize those lands.
▶ 6:19:30And in that sense, it is really no different, I suspect, from colonials, from american indian lands, from alaska native lands, uh, in their need to provide the basic capacity to live safely, to operate efficiently, effectively, and to maintain their cultures and their customs and their, their interaction with the rest of our country. And so this is, this is not just about, you know, rural water and wastewater.
▶ 6:19:59This is about, uh, basically a social compact that we've carried for a long, long time in the case of native hawaiians for well over a century on a very, very specific law. Now, I suspect the people that decided to cut this program had no clue about what I just described. They just looked at it and went, oh, what the heck, let's just cut this program, not worrying about it. They probably don't even know what colonia ah colonias or colonia are, and they probably don't understand much of indian country also.
▶ 6:20:27So I would expect and hope that as this bill goes forward, that this context is considered in in in future deliberations on what you do with this program going forward. These are real people. There's a real reason for this program to apply. In this case, I yield back. >> john. >> thank you. Gentlemen. Are there other members wishing to address the amendment? Gentleman from montana, Mr. zink, is recognized. >> will the gentleman yield from hawaii?
▶ 6:20:55Just so I understand. Is it by treaty or is it by law or is it mandated spending or is it discretionary spending? How is it how is it structured? >> the law is the hawaiian homes commission act. And so the law sets up the hawaiian homelands, which still exist in hawaii and are, are, are resided upon by native hawaiians.
▶ 6:21:18This particular program allocates specifically to american indians, alaska natives, colonial and native hawaiians. And so that's the specific mechanism by which these monies go to these subsets. >> and is it is the funding then mandated within that when the text of the bill, or how do they how. >> it is not technically mandated. It is in discretionary funding. However, it is a line item within this program.
▶ 6:21:46And that's where the brunt of the, um, you know, reduction has, has occurred. So it's taken this reduction out of the hide of those that need it the most. >> I appreciate it. Thank you. Yield back. >> thank you. Gentlemen. Are there others wishing to address the amendment? Seeing none, the gentlelady is recognized for one minute to close. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. And I'd like to thank my co-sponsors, uh, Mr.
▶ 6:22:16Quaid and Mr. case, on this amendment, the federal government, when we look at where we spend our dollars, we spend a lot of money on a lot of things. Many of us do not agree on. But I think we all in this room and in this congress, agree that U.S.
▶ 6:22:41Citizens and american families, when they turn on their faucet, they should be able to have access to water, especially in communities that have been waiting and were promised this decades and decades ago in in my community, the families who live in colonias are among the most economically disadvantaged in the country, some of the poorest zip codes in the country. And they work hard.
▶ 6:23:13They pay their taxes. My local governments raise taxes, and we tax ourselves to help many of these families. But these water and wastewater connections are exorbitantly expensive. It cannot just be on the backs of these families and on the backs of these local governments. We have an obligation to uplift these families. It is a priority of mine.
▶ 6:23:42I, I know all of us in this room feel the same way about ensuring this kind of dignity to american citizens in our country. I would urge you to vote yes. Thank you. >> thank you. Gentlelady. The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentlelady from texas. All those in favor say aye. >> aye. >> all opposed? Say no. No opinion of the chair of the nos. Have it amendment is requested.
▶ 6:24:13Sufficient support has been demonstrated. Clerk will call the roll. >> Mr. aderholt. Mr. aderholt. No. Mr. aguilar, Mr. aguilar. Aye. Mr. alford, Mr. alford. No. Mr. amodei. Mrs. bice. Mrs. bice. No. Mr. bishop, Mr. bishop, I. Mr. calvert, Mr. calvert. No. Mr. carter, Mr. carter I. Mr. case, Mr. case I Mr. cisco. Mr. cisco. No. Mr. klein. Mr. cloud. Mr.
▶ 6:24:41Clyburn, Mr. clyde. Mr. clyde. No. Mr. cole. No. Mr. cole. No. Mr. cuellar, Mr. cuellar I miss dean, miss dean, I miss delauro, I miss delauro, I Mr. diaz-balart, Mr. diaz-balart. No. Mr. edwards, no. Mr. edwards, no. Mr. ellzey. Mr. ellzey. No. Miss escobar, miss escobar, I Mr. espaillat, Mr.
▶ 6:25:11Espaillat, I. Mr. fleischmann, Mr. fleischmann. No. Miss. Frankel, miss. Frankel, I Mr. franklin, Mr. franklin. No. Mr. guest, Mr. guest. No. Mr. carter. Mr. carter. I. Doctor. Harris. Doctor. Harris. No. Mrs. henson. Mrs. henson. No. Mr. hoyer, Mr. hoyer I Mr. iv, Mr. iv, I Mr. joyce, Mr. joyce. No. Miss kaptur, miss kaptur, I Mr. lalota. Mr. lalota. No. Miss lee, miss lee, I miss.
▶ 6:25:44Letlow, Mr. levin, Mr. levin, I miss. Molloy, miss molloy. No. Miss mccollum, I miss mccollum, I miss ming, miss ming, I Mr. molinari, no. Mr. molenaar no. Mr. moore, Mr. moore. No. Mr. morelli, Mr. morelli I. Mr. van. >> what about. >> Mr. newhouse, Mr. newhouse no. Miss. Perez. Yes, miss perez, I miss pingree, miss pingree, I Mr. pocan, Mr.
▶ 6:26:15Pokemon, I, Mr. quigley. Mr. reschenthaler, Mr. rogers, Mr. rogers. No. Mr. rutherford, Mr. rutherford. No. Mr. shreeve, Mr. shreeve. No. Mr. simpson. Mr. simpson. No. Mr. strong, Mr. strong. No. Mrs. torres. Mrs. torres, I miss. Underwood, miss underwood, I. Mr. valadao, Mr. valadao. No. Miss. Wasserman. Schultz, miss.
▶ 6:26:47Wasserman. Schultz. I. Mrs. watson. Coleman, Mrs. watson. Coleman. I. Mr. womack, Mr. womack. No. Mr. zink. Yes. Mr. zink I. >> for you. Thank you. Thank. >> are there any members wishing to vote or change a vote? Gentleman from virginia. >> Mr. kline votes no. >> gentleman from illinois. >> Mr. quigley, a.
▶ 6:27:16>> gentleman from south carolina. >> Mr. clyburn, I. >> are there others? Seeing? None. The clerk will tally. >> thank you, Mr. zinc. Thank you, Mr. carter. >> Mr. schoen.
▶ 6:28:02>> on this vote, the eyes are 29, the nose are 29. The amendment is not adopted. Gentlelady from the state of washington. Miss. Perez is recognized for the purpose of an amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chair. I have an amendment at the desk, and I ask that the reading be dispensed with. >> without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with, and the gentlelady is recognized for remarks on her amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chair.
▶ 6:28:28The subcommittee hosted with secretary rollins earlier this month, and I was able to speak with her on something that's really impacting farmers back home. One of those things is how the avian flu is impacting egg producers in southwest washington. And I actually am the number one egg producing district in my state, which I think is excellent. Uh, but right now, the avian flu is a threat to those farmers. And if you talk to them, um, right now in this country, we're really having all of our eggs are in the basket of depopulation.
▶ 6:28:56Um, we are all in on depopulation, which is really hard on our farmers, um, to see their flocks, you know, being dispatched, um, especially given the fact that we produce the vaccine in this country that other countries use, and they would like to have some of us more flexibility in how, um, how we respond to avian flu, um, not just through depopulation, but also having the option to pursue vaccination because the reality is, um, you know, with
▶ 6:29:28Out the vaccine, we've really impacted the free range egg production. Um, chickens are being kept inside. They're not out feeling the wind in their feathers. Um, and whatever it is chickens do all day. Um, but, and that matters too. We ought to have the choice to be able to choose between the vaccine or the free range. And so, um, you know, I, um, I'm in at the desk would recognize the impacts on waiting on a vaccine has had on our production.
▶ 6:29:54It would also encourage the secretary when making these decisions about pilot programs to expedite them and prioritize our egg producers experience, because we all know egg producers need these vaccines the most. They they they do. Some of them need them now. So I appreciate our colleagues consideration of the amendment. And with that, I yield back. >> thank the gentlelady. The gentleman from maryland, doctor harris, is recognized to address the amendment. >> thank you very much.
▶ 6:30:20And, um, I appreciate the gentlelady's position because as you are, the your district, the largest layer district in the state, mines, the largest broiler district in my state. And that's where the conflict arises. So I rise in opposition to the amendment because authorization of a vaccine at this point in time, because the vaccines being developed in some countries use it. But and we'll get into why they may be able to get away with it. We won't.
▶ 6:30:49Uh, the author is authorization of vaccine would possibly benefit a single segment. It would benefit the layers, there's no question about it. But it would guarantee harm to almost every other segment of poultry production. Uh, and that's because most U.S. trading partners don't accept any poultry exports from countries that vaccinate any segment of poultry production. Now, I personally am not sure how that makes sense, but a lot of trade policy doesn't make sense.
▶ 6:31:16But that's that's the world in which we exist, that if we vaccinate one segment of our poultry production, uh, then those we may not be able to export any of our poultry products. And the reason is, is interesting. It's because other countries test for presence of hpai by testing for antibodies. They test the chicken, the products come in and see if they have antibodies.
▶ 6:31:41And obviously, you can't tell a naturally occurring antibody to an infected chicken from a vaccinated antibody. They're the same antibodies so that we don't have the technology right now. At some point we might we don't have it right now. And because of that, uh, the, the commerce department is very hesitant and the usda very hesitant to go forward with, with vaccination programs right now. Uh, just a reminder, the U.S.
▶ 6:32:11Broiler industry is the second largest exporter of chicken in the world. But it's highly competitive. But it's we're the second largest exporter. We export about $5 billion in chicken meat. And again, those exports, a lot of them would immediately cease with expedited approval vaccine, because a lot of the countries we export to will not accept a poultry product from a country. Any segment of the poultry, uh, is, uh, of the poultry production is vaccinated.
▶ 6:32:36Uh, so while it's possible the vaccine will play a role in hpai containment in the future, I think it will as technology gets advances and perhaps we're able to tell the naturally occurring antibodies from the, from the, uh, from the vaccine vaccine derived antibodies. Uh, we must be smart about how these vaccines are currently used. The process has to be dictated by science data, public policy, trade policy. So I don't believe it should be expedited right now.
▶ 6:33:06So I oppose this amendment and urge my colleagues to vote against it. >> thank the gentleman for his remarks. Gentleman from georgia. Mr. bishop is recognized to respond to the amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. I rise in support of the amendment. This is report language, and it should again be easy for the committee to agree to. The language simply encourages the department to consider expediting pilot programs for avian flu vaccines.
▶ 6:33:35Avian flu has been a significant challenge for producers for years. It seems eminently reasonable to encourage the consideration of a pilot program to address the issue. I support adoption of the amendment. I congratulate the lady for offering it, and I yield back. >> thank the gentleman for his remarks. Are there other members wishing to address the amendment? Seeing none, the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. To close.
▶ 6:34:05>> I thank you. I thank the committee. >> for their consideration of this and thinking about this, that the attention it deserves, that we have more options. With that, I'll yield back. >> thank the gentlelady. The question is now on the amendment offered by the gentlelady from washington. All those in favor say aye. All those opposed say no. Can you chair the nose? Have it. And the amendment is not accepted.
▶ 6:34:37Gentlelady from washington, miss. Perez is recognized for the purpose of amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chair. I have an amendment at the desk, and I ask that the reading be dispensed with. >> without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and gentlelady is recognized for remarks on her amendment. >> thank you, Mr. chair. You all might vaguely remember last year I was up here talking about an issue that I had heard about from child care providers in my district.
▶ 6:34:59Um, I was touring and somebody said, hey, congress lady, why am I legally not allowed to peel a banana for the toddlers? But I can legally open a bag of chips. And I was like, are you kidding me? And I spent weeks chasing this issue down. And I kept hearing that either this child care worker was stupid lying to me, their boss was lying to her. Um, and there was just no credence given it all to this woman. And we dug and dug and dug.
▶ 6:35:24And sure enough, there in the statute, the state rules, there was a provision about how many sinks they would need per exterior wall foot, and they would need like six more sinks before they could legally peel a banana. Because peeling a banana is considered food preparation. So any of you have ever had a young child in your life, know that food preferences are really durable for kids. What they're exposed to has impacts on their preferences for the rest of their life.
▶ 6:35:51And so when we have policies that wittingly or unwittingly, um, make cheetos more accessible to a toddler than fresh fruit, we have a crisis brewing. And I think it's something that really demands attention. And I don't think that anyone wrote these rules intentionally. There's no, there's this was not like frito lay being like, I know how we'll get them. I think this was just a lack of attention on how policy plays out in implementation.
▶ 6:36:19And somebody's good idea ended up being a real, you know, burden around the necks of people trying to take care of kids. So, um, we've had some evolution in this bill since the last time it was before the committee. Right. Now, what the amendment does is it we're trying to get the department of ag to make a list of foods, peel bananas, peeled oranges, that kind of thing that are very low risk. Recognize that preparing a chicken cutlet, a raw chicken cutlet is not the same thing as peeling a banana.
▶ 6:36:46And say that for states who are accepting the money that we provide in this committee to child care providers, that their licenses won't be negatively impacted if they serve that kid a banana, their licenses won't be negatively impacted if they are providing carrot sticks. Um, the kinds of things that build national health, we spend a lot of money treating the negative impacts of health. Let's talk about the precedent of good health.
▶ 6:37:12What precedes good health, good eating, healthy tastes, um, a relationship to our, our food and local food, fresh food. Um, and let's make that easier. Let's listen to the people who are actually taking care of our kids and, um, hear them out and make their lives easier, give them more of a play in this. So it's a, it's a very simple recommendation, simple report language. And I would love your support of this bill.
▶ 6:37:37Um, I think it will fundamentally change the way that our child care providers are able to operate in this country and ultimately bring down the cost of providing child care in this country. And with that, I yield back. >> thank the gentlelady for remarks. The gentleman from maryland, doctor harris, recognized to respond to the amendment. >> uh, thank you very much. Uh, look, I appreciate the gentlelady's enthusiasm for common sense government stuff.
▶ 6:38:04I mean, because you're right, the fact that we some states have some regulations somewhere that you can't peel a banana in child care is just crazy. It's just crazy. So I appreciate that. Uh, the gentlelady worked with the committee.
▶ 6:38:18We have, I think we've put together an amendment that sends a pretty clear signal that we think usda should identify this as an issue and, and, um, encourage states, uh, first of all, come up with a list of low risk foods that, in fact, you don't need a sink every so, so many feet of wall. Uh, you know, if you're going to serve that food and to encourage the states to, uh, to adhere to that list, I think that's reasonable. I think it's common sense.
▶ 6:38:43Uh, we're going to, we're going to end on a high point for the amendments because I will suggest that we vote for this amendment, and I yield back. >> the gentleman from georgia, Mr. simpson, or Mr. simpson. Mr. bishop's recognized. >> I'm glad the committee will accept the amendment.
▶ 6:39:12I think it's a good amendment, and I yield back. >> thank you. And if there's no further debate? Gentlelady is recognized for one minute to close. >> I am elated, I am thrilled. I love you all. >> thank you so much. Um, and I, I sincerely appreciate the support of this amendment. It's a. >> big. >> it's a say don't get carried away. I can give you a list not to love. >> uh. >> on both sides of the aisle, but congratulations. Uh, question, uh, is now on the amendment offered by the gentlelady from washington. All those in favor say aye.
▶ 6:39:43>> aye. >> all opposed? No opinion of the chair. The ayes have it. Amendment is accepted. Seeing no further amendments. I now recognize chairman rogers for a motion. >> thank you. >> Mr. chair. I move to favorably report to the house the fiscal year 2027 agriculture, rural development, food and drug administration and related agencies. Appropriations bill.
▶ 6:40:11Questions now on the motion to favorably report fiscal year 2027. Agriculture, rural development, food and drug administration, and related agencies. Appropriations bills to the house. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed? No. >> oh. >> thank you. The chair the ayes have it. Roll call has been requested. I really do need to see a lot more hands than that. I'm so sorry. Okay. Uh, sufficient support has been demonstrated. Clerk will call the roll. >> Mr. aderholt. Mr. aderholt.
▶ 6:40:43Aye. Mr. aguilar, Mr. aguilar. No. Mr. alford, Mr. alford, I, Mr. amodei, Mrs. bice, Mrs. bice I. Mr. bishop, Mr. bishop. No. Mr. calvert, Mr. calvert, I. Mr. carter, Mr. carter, I. Mr. case. Mr. case. No. Mr. cisco. Mr. cisco I Mr. klein, Mr. klein I. Mr. cloud, Mr. cloud I. Mr. clyburn, Mr. clyburn. No.
▶ 6:41:14Mr. clyde. Mr. clyde. I. Mr. cole, Mr. cole I. Mr. cuellar, Mr. cuellar. No. Miss. Dean. Miss. Dean. No. Miss. Delauro. Mr. lauro. No. Mr. diaz-balart, Mr. diaz-balart. I. Mr. edwards, Mr. edwards, I. Mr. ellzey. Mr. ellzey. I miss. Escobar, miss. Escobar. No. Mr. espaillat, Mr. espaillat. No. Mr. fleishman. Mr. fleishman, I miss. Frankel, miss. Frankel. No. Mr.
▶ 6:41:43Franklin, Mr. franklin I. Mr. guest, Mr. guest, I Mr. carter, Mr. carter. No. Doctor. Harris. Doctor. Harris. I Mrs. henson, Mrs. henson, I. Mr. hoyer, Mr. iv, Mr. iv. No. Mr. joyce. Mr. joyce. I miss. Kaptur, miss kaptur, I Mr. lalota. >> I'm sorry. >> alfano, miss. Kaptur, Mr. lalota. Mr.
▶ 6:42:13I miss lee, miss lee. No. Miss. Letlow. Miss. Letlow I Mr. levin. Mr. levin. No. Miss molloy, miss molloy, I miss. Mccollum. No. Miss mccollum, no. Miss ming, miss ming. No. Mr. molinari, Mr. molenaar I Mr. moore, Mr. moore, I. Mr. morelli, Mr. morelli. No. Mr. van. Mr. newhouse, Mr.
▶ 6:42:44Newhouse, I miss. Perez, miss perez, I miss pingree, miss pingree. No. Mr. pocan, Mr. pocan. No. Mr. quigley. Mr. quigley. No. Mr. reschenthaler, Mr. reschenthaler I Mr. rogers, Mr. rogers, I Mr. rutherford, Mr. rutherford I, Mr. shreeve, Mr. shreeve I Mr. simpson, Mr. simpson, I Mr. strong, Mr. strong, I Mrs. torres, Mrs.
▶ 6:43:15Torres. No. Miss. Underwood, miss. Underwood. No. Mr. valadao, Mr. valadao, I. Miss. Wasserman. Schultz, miss. Wasserman. Schultz. No. Mrs. watson. Coleman. Mrs. watson. Coleman. No. Mr. womack, Mr. womack. I. Mr. zink, Mr. >> zink, Mr. >> zink, I. >> does any member wish to vote or change their vote? >> okay.
▶ 6:43:45>> seeing none, the clerk will tally. >> uh, Mr. chairman, Mr. chairman, could you tell me how am I recorded? >> I do not believe the gentlelady is recorded. >> no. >> no, no. >> oh, I gotta do three days. >> it was.
▶ 6:44:15>> you have to do the allocation. You have allocation. >> no, no, we don't have. We're done. We're done. >> we have allocation. >> yeah. You have an allocation. >> to committee. >> on this vote. The eyes are 35, the nose are 25 and the motion is adopted. I ask unanimous consent.
▶ 6:44:44The staff be permitted to make technical and conforming changes to the bill. Report just approved three days seeing no objection. So ordered. There being no further business, the committee stands adjourned and the legislation is passed.