Proposed Cuts to USDA Budget Draws Criticism
Agriculture leaders, including Republican lawmakers, criticized President Trump’s planned 21 percent cut to discretionary spending at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), saying it could take a toll on rural communities.
Trump has proposed cutting the USDA’s discretionary budget by $4.7 billion to $17.9 billion. It would halt funding for rural clean water initiatives and rural business services, reduce some USDA statistical services, and cut county-level staff.
“America’s farmers and ranchers are struggling, and we need to be extremely careful not to exacerbate these conditions,” said House Agriculture Committee Chairman Michael Conaway.
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), the country’s largest organization representing farmers, said county-level USDA staffing cuts and reduced statistical services could hurt members.
“A lot of farmers and growers rely on USDA’s statistical capabilities to make a lot of marketing and risk management decisions and planting decisions,” said John Newton, AFBF director of market intelligence.
The proposal did not give details of which services could be cut.
Trump’s blueprint aims to save $498 million by eliminating a program that helps fund clean water and sewer systems in small communities. The budget proposal would also eliminate a food aid program, which had $182 million in funding earmarked for fiscal 2017.
The White House says it plans to release a traditional full budget in mid-May.
Source: Reuters