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.