Ranking Member Bishop Remarks: Fiscal Year 2027 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Floor Debate

-- Remarks As Delivered -- 

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 8646.

As Ranking Member of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, I am deeply disappointed by this bill because it fails every American who relies on us for safe food and medicines, resilient farmlands, and vital rural infrastructure.

The FY2027 House Agriculture appropriations bill is 4% below FY26 enacted levels, a cut of $1.1 billion.

It makes substantial reductions across rural development, farm production and conservation, nutrition, and foreign aid programs.

Most notably, House Republicans are proposing to drastically reduce fruit and vegetable benefits for 5 million low-income women, infants, and children in the WIC program.

With funding for WIC below 2026, and rising food costs, the National WIC Association says it is quite possible that state agencies will have to turn away eligible families for the first time in 30 years.

To my Republican colleagues and to the American people, I ask: does this make sense? Do we not want fresh and healthy food for women, infants, and school children? Do we want to keep turning this country back instead of moving it forward?

While there is an unauthorized war in Iran, a single week’s spending for the war could fully fund WIC for almost an entire year.

And what is worse, the Department of Defense admits that 25 percent of our servicemember and military families do not have access to sufficient, quality food to meet their basic needs!

So, you’re willing to spend BILLIONS of dollars overseas but not willing to feed American troops fighting the war?

This bill not only hurts those struggling to put food on the table, but it also hurts our farmers.

There were 46% more farm bankruptcies in 2025 than the year before. And the issue is getting worse. USDA’s own economists expect farm income to decline by $4.1 billion from 2025 to 2026. 

Just as our producers are getting hit with increased fuel and input costs from this unauthorized war and chaotic tariffs, this administration has gutted the experienced federal workforce and shuttered offices when our producers and rural communities need them the most!

My colleagues and I – across this country – have gotten calls from farmers and ranchers who tell us that they are showing up to closed or understaffed Farm Service Agency, Rural Development Agency, and Natural Resources Conservation Service Offices. The staff they have worked with for years are disappearing. And the cuts to staffing in this bill at those very agencies will only make it harder for them to get the support that they need.

House Republicans also cut funding for water and wastewater grants for poor rural communities, slashing the programs by nearly 50%. These are basic human needs, quality-of-life necessities, and essential drivers for local job creation.

There are still communities in rural areas across this country that do not have acceptable drinking or wastewater services, who need these grants desperately.

This bill slashes rural broadband investments by 20%, rural business development grants by nearly 30%, and rural energy programs by 50%. 

We cannot shut the door on our rural communities at a time when we need to do the opposite – invest in research at our land-grant university and in rural development, preserve our farmland and forests, ensure the safety of our food, medicine, and medical devices.

This bill is really about everyone.

Everyone eats the food we produce. Everyone needs safe medicine and clean water. Everyone relies on affordable fuel and utilities.

Unfortunately, the bill before us does not meet our country’s needs.

The bill cuts funding for both Inspector General and Ethics offices at USDA that are responsible for rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse. It slashes funding for the Office of Civil Rights and it nearly does away with the Office of Partnership and Public Engagement, which means less transparency and less accountability to USDA stakeholders.

I do appreciate the hard work of Appropriations Committee staff and their ability to work so quickly after a much-delayed Presidential budget request. On the minority side, I want to thank Martha Foley, Marie Gualtieri, and Alex Swann; and for the majority, Pam Miller, Elizabeth Dent, Judd Gardner, Nick Seelinger, and Sykes Connell.

I also appreciate, very much, my colleague, Dr. Harris, for agreeing to keep essential funding for rural housing, senior food aid, and the McGovern-Dole food assistance intact.

It is simply unfortunate, though, that the bill does not extend the same benefits to nutrition assistance, food security initiatives, and USDA operations.

I am very, very appreciative of the conversations that we have been able to have with Chairman Harris and the hard work with Chairman Cole and Ranking Member DeLauro in trying to get to a point where we can do what we need to do for the American people through this funding bill.

But at this time, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill and look forward to working on both sides to craft a better bill for our constituents and the American people.

Thank you, and I reserve the balance of my time.