[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 22, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1154-E1155]
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. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    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:

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Chair, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 2112, 
the Fiscal Year 2012 Agriculture-FDA Appropriations bill. This 
legislation continues the Republican majority's destructive pattern of 
underfunding community needs and undermining the country's fragile 
economic recovery.
  Total funding in H.R. 2112 is $3 billion less than last year's 
funding level for Agriculture appropriations. As a result, there are 
far fewer resources to meet the growing needs of the American people. 
This legislation cuts critical nutrition programs for vulnerable women, 
children and elderly. It puts every family at greater risk of food-
borne illness by slashing funding for food safety. And it gives Wall 
Street speculators more freedom to inflate gas prices by cutting 
funding to police oil speculation.
  The House Republican majority is forcing these dangerous cuts on our 
communities and arguing that sacrifice is needed to reduce federal 
deficits. Unfortunately, these are disingenuous arguments that hide the 
Republican's true budget priorities. While making drastic cuts to 
successful community programs in this and other appropriations bills, 
the Republican majority is protecting hundreds of billions of dollars 
in tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans in their 2012 budget, 
including nearly $4 billion in special tax subsidies for the largest 
oil companies. Republicans have failed to justify their choice to spend 
precious federal resources on tax giveaways for Americans who have the 
most while handing deep cuts to those who have the least.
  The following provisions of H.R. 2112 are the most troubling:
  Women, Infants and Children, WIC: Though House Democrats were able to 
restore $147 million in funding, the WIC program will still be slashed 
by over $500 million from last year's level. Over 9 million women and 
young children benefit from this vital program that offers nutrition 
and health care assistance to some of our most vulnerable populations. 
H.R. 2112 will deny over 350,000 low-income women and infants access to 
the program.
  Commodity Supplemental Food Program, Emergency Food Assistance 
Program, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: House 
Republicans chose to cut by over $100 million these vital safety net 
programs that keep millions of Americans from going hungry at night. 
H.R. 2112 also cuts $2 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition 
Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) 
reserve fund. This funding is set aside in the event that participation 
is greater than expected.
  Food banks, emergency shelters, Americans who rely on food stamps, 
and seniors living at or below the poverty level will suffer from these 
cuts. With American families struggling to find jobs in this slow 
economic recovery, Congress should be strengthening the nutrition 
safety net, not weakening it. Minnesota has seen a 19 percent increase 
in food stamp usage over the past year while our food banks are under 
enormous strain to deal with the surging demand for their services.
  Food and Drug Administration, FDA: Recent deadly E. coli outbreaks 
across Europe are only the latest evidence of why it is reckless for 
House Republicans to underfund the President's request for the FDA by 
21 percent. Congress passed landmark food safety reforms last year to 
protect public health. Yet, without adequate resources to implement 
these new protections, Americans will be exposed to unnecessary risks 
every time they visit the grocery store.
  Commodity Futures Trading Commission, CFTC: Wall Street speculators 
are contributing to skyrocketing gas prices by inflating the price of 
oil. As families in Minnesota and across the country struggle to pay 
these costs, House Republicans are choosing to cut the federal entity 
charged with policing speculation. In H.R. 2112, the CFTC receives 44 
percent less funding than requested by President Obama.
  International Food Aid: The United States has a critical national 
security interest in helping to alleviate hunger in around the world, 
particularly in places such as Afghanistan and Pakistan. House 
Republicans cut the budget for the P.L. 480 Title II program that 
provides emergency food aid assistance by 38 percent. The successful 
McGovern-Dole International Food for Education program is also cut by 
10 percent.
  Stopping Clean Water Act Enforcement: House Republicans inserted a 
legislative provision in H.R. 2112 to stop the Army Corps of Engineers 
from meeting its legal responsibilities under the Clean Water Act to 
protect our Nation's wetlands and tributaries.

[[Page E1155]]

  Conservation Programs: Rural conservation programs received an 
unprecedented $1 billion cut from mandatory spending levels in H.R. 
2112. This decision is deeply unfortunate, considering conservation 
programs such as the Conservation Stewardship Program and the Wetlands 
Reserve Program have benefited farmers while improving water quality 
and wildlife habitat.
  H.R. 2112 does reflect a bipartisan agreement to continue the ban on 
horse slaughter inspection. The bill also stops funding for USDA's 
Livestock Protection Program that has been found to use lethal methods 
to address wildlife conflict. Taxpayer money can be better spent on 
predator control methods that do not involve the use of toxic poisons, 
steel-jawed traps and aerial gunning.
  Overall, H.R. 2112 is a deeply flawed bill. If enacted into law, it 
will inflict great and unnecessary pain on America's urban and rural 
communities with no significant or lasting reduction in the federal 
deficit.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in voting against this bill.

                          ____________________