[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 87 (Thursday, June 16, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1123]
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, 2012

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 14, 2011

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2112) making 
     appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and 
     Drug Administration, and Related Agencies programs for the 
     fiscal year ending September 30, 2012, and for other 
     purposes:

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Chair, I rise today in strong opposition to the 
misguided Fiscal Year 2012 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and 
Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. This bill 
puts the economic recovery at risk by cutting funding to the 
Commodities Futures Trading Commission, which will prevent the CFTC 
from implementing important reforms in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street 
Reform Act. The bill also slashes critical food security programs aimed 
at protecting our most vulnerable citizens, children and seniors. The 
bill also cuts important food safety programs at the Food and Drug 
Administration.
  The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act took the important step of 
bringing the vast majority of over-the-counter derivatives out of the 
shadows and onto regulated exchanges and clearinghouses, where the risk 
will be borne by the counterparties and the markets they trade on--not 
the taxpayer. Astonishingly, rather than providing the Commodities 
Future Trading Commission with the resources necessary to implement 
this critical reform, the new majority is proposing to slash CFTC 
funding by 44 percent below President Obama's request--and $30 million 
below current levels. This is like telling a cop he's got seven times 
more territory to patrol but less money to do it with. Unable to repeal 
the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform law, the Republicans are now clearly 
trying to starve it to death--which is a prescription for continued 
pain at the pump as speculators run amok in our futures markets and 
gouge hard-working consumers. This is a step in the wrong direction and 
ignores the mistakes of the past.
  The cuts to food safety net programs in this legislation are 
devastating at a time when millions of Americans are unable to purchase 
food. The cuts also target the most vulnerable in our society. The 
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children 
is cut by $650 million in this bill. The Center on Budget and Policy 
Priorities estimates that the cuts in this bill would force WIC to turn 
away 200,000 to 350,000 eligible low-income women and young children 
next year. The bill would force WIC to turn away 3,200 to 5,600 
eligible low-income women and young children in Maryland. The USDA says 
WIC has saved more than 200,000 babies from dying at birth. Economists 
estimate that every $1 invested in WIC saves between $1.77 and $3.13 in 
health care costs in the first 60 days after an infant's birth by 
reducing the instance of low-birthweight babies and improving child 
immunization rates. The bill also cuts food aid for low-income seniors 
through cuts to the Commodity Supplemental Food Program and assistance 
to food banks through the Emergency Food Assistance Program. According 
to the USDA's Economic Research Service, 50.2 million Americans lived 
in food-insecure households in 2009, including 17.2 million children.
  The bill slashes the Food and Drug Administration by $572 million. 
These cuts are 21 percent below the President's request and $285 
million or 12 percent below current funding levels. These cuts will 
prevent FDA from improving food safety efforts and increase the risk of 
food-borne illnesses. The CDC estimates that 48 million Americans get 
sick from contaminated food, 325,000 people are hospitalized, and 5,000 
of these people die every year. E. coli outbreaks in Europe recently 
killed 31 people and made more than 3,000 people sick. Outbreaks like 
this remind us of the importance of strong food safety regulations.
  I will monitor the progress of this bill in the Senate and 
conference. I am hopeful that future changes and improvements will give 
me a chance to vote on a more acceptable alternative.

                          ____________________