HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE ADVANCES AGRICULTURE APPROPRIATIONS BILL

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture this week convened to markup the agriculture appropriations bill for fiscal year 2019, allocating to the federal government $23.27 billion in discretionary spending for agricultural programs. The bill provides funding for key programs and services, including $3.1 billion for agriculture research programs and $1.92 billion for international programs designed to promote U.S. agricultural exports overseas. The legislation also provides $255 million in funding for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), an agency that works to ensure that the derivatives markets operate effectively and helps deter and prevent fraud and manipulation in the futures markets. NPPC, along with other commodity groups this week, urged subcommittee Chairman Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., and Ranking Member Sandford Bishop, D-Ga., to grant the CFTC’s budget request of $281.5 million for the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. The appropriations bill will now advance to the full committee for consideration.