Ag spending bill advances to the full House

Ag spending bill advances to the full House

The House Appropriations Committee has approved an ag spending bill for Fiscal Year 2024 and it will now be considered by the full House.

The $25.3 billion bill invests in programs at the USDA and Food and Drug Administration, but it is getting mixed reviews from agriculture groups.

An area of disagreement is a rider that would prevent USDA from publishing rules to strengthen the Packers and Stockyards Act.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association says including the rider in the budget is a win for cattle producers, because the rules would open up frivolous complaints and lawsuits and would hurt cattle producers’ ability to capture premiums.