February 23, 2011
www.gfb.org
Vol. 29 No. 8
CUTS TO AG PROGRAMS INCLUDED IN BUDGET BILL PASSED BY U.S. HOUSE Drought tolerance research being conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Peanut Research Laboratory (NPRL) in Dawson would face elimination and the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, already hit hard by state budget cuts, would lose an additional 10 percent of its funding under a federal appropriations bill passed in the U.S. House. The House on Feb. 19 passed H.R. 1, a continuing resolution budget proposal for the rest of fiscal year 2011, which ends Sept. 30. The bill includes more than $5 billion in cuts to agriculture-related programs and eliminates federal earmarked funds. H.R. 1, for which more than 500 amendments were considered, passed by a 235-189 vote. It would cut the federal budget by $60 billion overall. It would reduce funding for ag-related programs and operating budgets by $5.21 billion, or 22.4 percent, more than double the 10.3percent reductions in overall non-defense discretionary spending. The bill will now be considered by the Senate, which reconvenes on Feb. 28. A government shutdown could occur if funding legislation is not approved by March 4. Among the cuts are $1.08 million for the NPRL, which has four scientists and three projects studying irrigation, sustainable production and genetics/physiology that are funded by federal earmarks, according to NPRL Research Leader Marshall Lamb. If the funding reductions in H.R. 1 are put into effect, the four scientists along with support staff and student/temporary employees would be terminated, ending significant industry-supported research efforts. The UGA Cooperative Extension has already lost 24 percent of its budget from state funding cuts over the past two years and restructured its service delivery system statewide in response. Amendments to put caps on farm program payments were defeated on direction from House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), who said discussion on farm payment cuts should wait until the 2012 farm bill debate. The House did pass an amendment by Rep. John Sullivan (R-Okla.) that would thwart the Environmental Protection Agency from proceeding with allowing E15 ethanol blends for cars and light trucks built after 2001. The amendment was approved in a 285-136 vote; Farm Bureau was opposed to the Sullivan amendment. Among other amendments in the bill that were approved and supported by Farm Bureau is one that would prohibit EPA from modifying the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for dust. An amendment supported by Farm Bureau to limit EPA authority to mandate Total Maximum Daily Load requirements on states was also approved.