Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies

We have before us today the Chairman's mark for the fiscal year 2013 appropriations bill and report for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies.

Our discretionary 302(b) allocation in budget authority is $19.405 billion, a decrease of $365 million 1.85 percent below the fiscal year 2012 funding level, and a decrease of $1.7 billion below the President's request. Within this total, is a security allocation of $1.33 billion for international food assistance programs. Mandatory spending in the bill totals $121.3 billion, an increase of $4.4 billion above the fiscal year 2012 level, and a decrease of $2 billion below the request.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for yielding.

We have before us today the Fiscal Year 2013 appropriations bill for Agriculture, Rural Development, the FDA and Related Agencies, which is funded at the discretionary 302(b) allocation of $19.405 billion. This is a 1.85 percent decrease compared to the fiscal year 2012 enacted level. I would like to thank Chairman Kingston, Ranking Member Farr and staff on both sides for their bipartisan efforts to prepare for this markup today, as well as my good friend from Washington, Mr. Dicks, for his role in getting this bill to the subcommittee. I look forward to continuing the regular order under which we have moved our appropriations bills this year.