The House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Agriculture appropriations, including amendments that would limit poultry line slaughter speeds and forbid the ownership of farmland by the Chinese government and its subsidiaries.
The China amendment was brought by Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., and includes a provision that would make any land currently owned by China ineligible for farm programs or subsidies.
The committee adopted by voice vote an amendment by Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., that would revoke 16 waivers granted during the COVID-19 pandemic to meat and poultry plants to increase line speeds for moving animal carcasses.
The overall bill includes $26.6 billion FY 2022 Agriculture spending, a 12% increase in discretionary funding from the enacted FY 2021 level. The bill would provide a $2.9 billion increase in discretionary funds for USDA, Food and Drug Administration and Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
The plan also provides $5 million for the Food and Drug Administration to create a pilot program in India and China for unannounced inspections of drug manufacturers. Foreign plants are usually given three months prior notice before an inspection. Full House action is expected but the Senate has yet to move forward on its version of the agriculture spending plan.