Granger on Democrats’ Funding Priorities

WASHINGTON – Today, the subcommittees on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration met to consider their appropriations bills for fiscal year 2022. The measures were reported out to the full committee with concerns raised by Republicans.
 
Ranking Member Kay Granger (R-TX), the lead Republican for the Appropriations Committee, said of the measures, "While these bills fund many important programs, they are based on a funding framework that does not have bipartisan support. If we want to fund the good things contained in these bills, we are going to have to work together to develop spending levels both sides can support and agree to leave out controversial provisions.”
 
Troublesome Funding Levels and Provisions:
 
Military Construction and Veterans Affairs

• Includes a $11.8 billion or a 10 percent increase in discretionary spending.
• Drops general provisions that prohibited the closure of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay and the transfer of detainees to the U.S. continent and territories.
• Requests a report on the Department of Veterans Affairs’ policies regarding fertility and adoption services that would be better addressed by the appropriate authorizing committee – the Veterans Affairs Committee. 

 
Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration

• Includes a $2.85 billion or a 12 percent increase in discretionary spending.
• Essentially grants the Administration unlimited spending authority for a nutritional program that was already dramatically expanded during the pandemic.

 
Ranking Member Granger’s remarks in each subcommittee are linked below:
Military Construction and Veterans Affairs FY22 Subcommittee Markup
Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration FY22 Subcommittee Markup