Lowey statement at subcommittee markup of 2016 Agriculture Appropriations bill

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.  I appreciate the efforts of Chairman Rogers, Chairman Aderholt, and Ranking Member Farr in putting this bill together and holding this markup.

Despite the President’s proposal more than four months ago to end sequestration through more reasonable and realistic budgeting, Republicans have yet to engage on finding a workable solution. This is the eleventh bill to be considered in subcommittee, and like its predecessors, it has no chance of being signed into law because it would shortchange vital investments that help hardworking American families.

For instance, the FDA would receive $116 million less than what it needs, preventing it from fully combating dangerous illnesses or overseeing our nation’s food supply.

Food for Peace would be cut by $49 million from current levels.  In addition, a rider yet again stands in the way of the administration’s reasonable proposal to allow up to 25% of Title II resources to be made available in cash for emergencies to better respond to multiple, high-level crises around the world. 

The bill would shortchange the CFTC at $77 million below the request.  Dodd-Frank is the law of the land, and the CFTC, like every regulator, needs the resources to do its job.  Unfortunately, this bill would make it more difficult for the CFTC to meet the demands of regulating commodities and protecting the investments of end-users and the public.

Additionally, crucial funding for the WIC program is $139 million below the request.  I hope, as we have done in years past, that we can commit to meeting full participation of the program so that mothers and children have access to healthy foods and nutrition education.

While more than 21.5 million low-income children rely on free and reduced price meals at school, less than 2.7 million receive free meals in the summer when school is out. The Administration proposed to strengthen the summer EBT program to reach 200,000 families a year, yet the bill would only provide a fraction of what was requested.

As usual with the Agriculture bill, I have concerns with a number of riders including attempts to politicize science on dietary guidelines and preventing improvements on sodium and whole grains.  But there is one rider that I find so objectionable that I am shocked at its inclusion.

This bill would use the appropriations process to undermine the FDA by letting products such as e-cigarettes go unregulated, even at a time when e-cigarette use among teens has tripled.  Six years ago this month, the Tobacco Control Act gave the FDA the authority to protect the public health.  This rider is an assault on that bipartisan effort and nothing short of a giveaway to the tobacco industry.

It is my sincere hope that we can improve these shortcomings as this bill moves forward.