For the past six months or so a handful of hard-far-right Republicans in the U.S. House has attempted to attach a number of, putting it mildly, controversial riders to the 2024 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and related Agencies Appropriations Act.
Even a partial list reveals a mindset more interested in controlling peoples’ lives and creating chaos in government rather than anything resembling policies that make our country a better place. To wit:
A rider to ban mail-order of the abortion pill mifepristone. FDA in late 2021 permanently allowed mifepristone to be ordered via mail. Whether or not that proves to be legal is working its way through the courts and the U.S. Supreme Court will rule this term on the regulation.
Meanwhile, since last summer the House Republicans have attempted to use must-pass spending bills as a way to advance anti-abortion measures. Including agriculture appropriations. Truth be told, likely a majority of House members would vote to ban mifepristone in a New York minute. But doing so would likely mean big election losses to moderate House Republicans this November.
A rider to stop USDA from considering new regulations to improve the 1921 Packers and Stockyards Act, a law that regulates, among other things, competition in the livestock industry. A century later it is fair to say that there is virtually nothing competitive among Big Meat companies. A June 2023 USDA Economic Research Service report found that just four companies process 85% of beef, 67% of pork, 53% of chicken and 55% of turkey in the United States.
Big Meat put their thumb on individual ranchers and transparent oversight of the industry when the 2008 farm bill created a new title on livestock. In 2021 the Biden administration called for USDA to restore competition in Big Meat. For a change USDA got busy, announcing late last year a final rule for contract poultry growers and on March 5 the finalization of a rule protecting producers from discriminatory practices.
None of this has sat well with Maryland Republican Andy Harris, chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture. Harris has made it his personal crusade to both undo the aforementioned USDA rule making and prevent any efforts for USDA to strengthen the P&SA in the future. Yeah, you read that right.
A rider to essentially prevent Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients from using federal funds to purchase soda pop processed foods and candy. Another Harris brainchild, the rider would have added about $1 billion to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children in exchange to create a new pilot program requiring more nutritional foods in SNAP.
The scheme would require purchase of “nutrient dense” foods. USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans says “nutrient-dense foods and beverages provide vitamins, minerals, and other health-promoting components and have little added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium.” Examples include v”egetables, fruits, whole grains, seafood, eggs, beans, peas, and lentils, unsalted nuts and seeds, fat-free and low-fat dairy products, and lean meats and poultry — when prepared with no or little added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium ….”
So, how many of these gosh awful riders survived the final agreement for the 2024 agricultural appropriation. Uh … zero. Yup. None, nada, zippo.
WIC received a $1 billion boost without the goofy SNAP pilot program rider. A ban on mail-order mifepristone? Nowhere to be found. Limiting USDA’s oversight of the P&SA? Not included. But lawmakers did provide $2.5 million dollars in new money for Packers and Stockyards Act enforcement.
As it turns out the Republican razor-thin majority in the House and a pretty decent chance that Democrats will take over after the November elections combined to curtail far-right Republicans from getting their way. Which bodes well for the new farm bill provided Senate Ag chair Debbie Stabenow and House Ag Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson can get the bill across the finish line in the next several months.
The post Ag appropriation riders? What riders? appeared first on Investigate Midwest.