[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 128 (Saturday, August 4, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1749-E1750]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION AND 
               RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. JAMES R. LANGEVIN

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 2, 2007

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill, (H.R. 3161) 
     making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, 
     Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies programs 
     for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, and for other 
     purposes:

  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 3161, the 
Agriculture Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2008. This bill provides 
funding to support our farmers, protect the environment, ensure a safe 
and stable food supply, and care for the most vulnerable members of our 
society. H.R.3161 also fulfills the reforms included in the recently 
passed Farm Bill, by increasing funding for nutrition, conservation and 
energy programs.
  I am pleased to support funding increases for important conservation 
programs for my home state of Rhode Island, including the Environmental 
Quality Incentive Program, the Farm and Ranchland Protection Program, 
and the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program. This legislation also 
restores funding for many programs that the Bush Administration's 
budget would have cut or eliminated, including Resource Conservation 
and Development and watershed programs. H.R. 3161 also encourages the 
expansion of renewable energy research and production by nearly 
doubling funding for renewable energy loans to businesses, resources 
for research, and grants to farmers and ranchers.
  After recent food scares, Americans have become more concerned about 
where their food is produced. After six years of delays, I am pleased 
that H.R. 3161 includes a time line for implementation of country of 
origin labeling for our meat. This legislation fully funds the Food 
Safety and Inspection Service at the Department of Agriculture in order 
to fill vacancies and invest in research, and will also fund a 
transformation of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) food safety 
regulations. This measure also prevents cuts to FDA field operations 
and provides additional funding for processing generic drug 
applications and drug safety reviews.
  H.R. 3161 increases funding for the nutrition title, which includes 
food stamps and other programs aimed to combat hunger and improve 
nutrition for children, the elderly and low-income Americans. This 
includes the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants 
and Children, as well as the Community Food Projects program, which 
awards grants to non-profit groups that establish community food 
projects targeted to low-income individuals. This measure also 
increases funding for school nutrition programs for purchasing fruits, 
vegetables and nuts, and creates more avenues for produce to flow from 
local farmers to schools. H.R. 3161 also includes funding to help 
improve the eating habits of Americans, particularly our children. It 
also expands the Simplified Summer Food

[[Page E1750]]

program to all states to provide nutritious foods to children in low-
income families through the summer.
  Madam Chairman, this legislation helps farmers meet growing 
environmental challenges, increases safety monitoring of our food 
supply, gives consumers more healthy food choices, and promotes 
critical renewable energy development. I look forward to passing this 
measure into law and urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 3161.

                          ____________________