The Fight for Agriculture Funding Continues in Congress
Ranking Member Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA-02) recently spoke out about the challenges faced by agricultural agencies as he criticized the 2025 Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA Funding Bill. The bill, which appropriates funds for the USDA, FDA, CFTC, and other agencies, falls short in ensuring these organizations have the necessary resources to effectively serve the American public.
Bishop highlighted several specific issues with the bill. For example, it forces the USDA to “choose between programs and the people administering those programs,” which he attributes to mandatory pay raises without sufficient funding. This, in turn, forces agencies to cut staff, including vital positions in the Farm Service Agency and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The CFTCFC, which oversees a massive global derivatives market, faces severe threats from hackers and lacks the resources to adequately respond. Similarly, the USDA’s nutrition program staff will be reduced by 21 percent, despite slight improvements in funding for the programs themselves.
Continued Concerns
Furthermore, the bill reduces funding for critical rural services like water and housing, and includes contentious policy riders such as marriage discrimination and critical race theory provisions. Bishop asserts that these restrictions and financial cuts hinder the ability of these agencies to effectively provide essential services to rural Americans and make meaningful progress in crucial areas like agriculture and nutrition.
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