OMNIBUS FUNDING BILL INCLUDES AGRICULTURE & DISASTER ASSISTANCE

News Date January 07, 2008

       Congress approved a massive omnibus appropriations package just days before Christmas which President Bush signed into law on December 26. The FY08 spending bill (H.R. 2764) provides more than $500 billion to fund eleven of the twelve annual appropriations bills, including agriculture.
       The omnibus spending package included an extension of the eligibility date for disaster assistance from Feburary 28, 2007, through December 31, 2007.  NASDA and other agricultural groups pushed for an extension of that date. Earlier this year, Congress approved an emergency agricultural disaster package as part of the FY07 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill. The eligibility cut off date was February 28, 2007.  The recently-passed Senate farm bill includes a fully funded standing disaster assistance program. NASDA supports a permanent disaster assistance program in the farm bill. More information about the current disaster assistance program can be located at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.
       The omnibus spending bill provides a total of $18.1 billion for USDA and agriculture, almost $1 billion more than the president's budget request of $17.8 billion. The bill would increase spending for rural community programs ($714 million, $144 million above the president's budget request) and the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) will receive $6 billion, $815 million above the President's request. USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) is provided $930 million for FY08, which is $38 million above FY07. Animal and Plant Health will receive $868 million, which is $21 million above FY07 funding and $78 million below the president's request.  (Contact: Charlie Ingram or Jennifer Yezak)