Congress released a $1.5 trillion omnibus appropriations package, H.R. 2471, for fiscal year (FY) 2022. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is pleased to see significant increases in several critical priorities to increase the resilience of rural communities and bolster sustainable food systems…. Read More →
appropriations
A Year in Review: Wins and Reflections for Sustainable Agriculture in 2021
As this unpredictable year comes to a close and we look to the future, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition takes a look back at our coalition’s hard-fought wins towards building a more sustainable, equitable food and farm system in 2021…. Read More →
Budget Reconciliation: The Missing Pieces
A lot has changed since we last blogged about budget reconciliation, agriculture, and climate change just two weeks ago. At that point, there were still major outstanding details about the proposed agriculture, forestry, and rural development investments the House and Senate Agriculture Committees had put together, including the entire anticipated conservation and debt relief provisions. In this latest post, NSAC analyzes the conservation and debt relief provisions and give an update on the process and path forward to developing and passing the Build Back Better Act budget reconciliation bill. … Read More →
Comment: National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) responds to Senate Agriculture Appropriations Approval of FY 2022 Bill
For Immediate Release Contact: Laura ZaksNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) press@sustainableagriculture.net / Tel: 347.563.6408 Washington, D.C., August 4, 2021 – In response to the markup of the “Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2022” by the Senate Committee on Appropriations, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) issued the following […]
Unpacking the House Appropriations Committee FY 2022 Agriculture Funding Bill
On June 30th, the House Appropriations Committee marked up and approved its fiscal year (FY) 2022 Agriculture Spending bill. The full House Appropriations Committee markup and approval followed the Agriculture Subcommittee’s approval of the funding bill on Friday, June 12. The agriculture appropriations bill includes funding for a wide range of farm and food programs, […]
Farmers Care About SARE: NSAC Hosts Virtual Annual Appropriations Fly-in
Every year, NSAC partners with coalition members to organize dozens of farmers and ranchers across the country to share their stories, ideas, and needs with Congressmembers. Marking one year since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, NSAC gathered once again this spring to host our third virtual farmer fly-in here (and everywhere) in DC.! Last […]
Government Funding Bill – Sustainable Agriculture Wins
With the country facing an imminent government shutdown, the President finally signed the $2.3 trillion Emergency Coronavirus Relief Act of 2020 on December 28th. This bill includes both badly needed emergency COVID-19 relief aid as well as regular fiscal year (FY) 2021 appropriations. For more information on the COVID-19 relief aspects of the bill check […]
Bare Minimum, Last Minute
Last Wednesday night with only a few hours to spare, Congress did what many observers and advocates for months had been citing as inevitable. They sent an appropriations Continuing Resolution (CR) to the President’s desk that puts off final decisions about Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 spending until after the November general election. The CR ensures […]
…But Wait, There’s More! Additional Farmer Stories From NSAC’s First Virtual Fly-In
Editor’s note: This blog post is the second in a two-part series featuring farmer advocates from NSAC’s virtual appropriations fly-in held earlier this spring. Click here to check out the first post, which includes additional fly-in details and an outlook on appropriations amidst COVID-19. At the end of March, NSAC hosted its very first “virtual” […]
Farmers “Call” on Congress to Deliver Appropriations Asks in First Virtual NSAC Fly-In
Editor’s note: This blog is the first of a two-part series featuring farmer advocates from the NSAC virtual appropriations fly-in. Click here for additional farmer stories! Each spring, when visitors normally flock to Washington, DC to see the renowned cherry blossoms, a select set of dedicated advocates are drawn to the nation’s capital for a […]
A Plea for Food and Agriculture Research Funding
Federal funding for food and agriculture public research has stagnated for decades, declining in real terms even while other federal agencies have seen their budgets trend steadily upward and even while China has long since overtaken the US as the major public investor in the sector. Yet, our food and agricultural system is a key […]
Congress Clears FY 2020 Appropriations Packages
This week, after months of delay, Congress passed a much-anticipated deal to fund the government through the end of fiscal year (FY) 2020. FY 2020 runs through September 30, 2020. The $1.4 trillion package of discretionary spending bills, which was divided up into two “minibuses”, was finally delivered this week after months of rigorous advocacy […]
COMMENT: FY 2020 “Minibus” Bolsters Farm Bill Wins for Sustainable Agriculture
The final appropriations package builds upon the sustainable agriculture community’s hard-fought farm bill wins and delivers much-needed support to family farmers across the country at a time when good news is increasingly hard to come by. … Read More →
COMMENT: Senate Advances Agriculture Appropriations Bill
Today, the Senate passed on the floor, as part of a four bill “minibus”, the final version of their Agriculture Appropriations bill for fiscal year (FY) 2019…. Read More →
Senate Appropriations Bill Underfunds Priority Farm and Food Programs
With only six days left in the current fiscal year (FY), Congress is slowly but surely making progress on a final funding package for FY 2020. Last week, the Senate moved the ball forward by “marking up” and passing their agriculture appropriations bill out of both the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee and full Senate Appropriations […]
RELEASE: National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Urges Congress Not to Shortchange Farmers in FY 2020 Appropriations Bill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana KovalcikNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalition202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Urges Congress Not to Shortchange Farmers in FY 2020 Appropriations Bill Washington, DC, September 20, 2019 – Yesterday, the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced their funding priorities for several spending bills (including agriculture) for fiscal year (FY) 2020. Disappointingly, the Senate bill […]
Congress Returns from Recess, Another Shutdown Threat Looms
Every August, Members of Congress head home for a month long legislative break known as “August recess” – which typically spills over through the Labor Day holiday. Now that August has come and gone, Members in both the House and the Senate are returning to the capital with a full schedule ahead of them. What’s […]
Two-Year Budget Deal Includes Major Offsets, Impacts Farm + Food Programs
After months of uncertainty and start-and-stop negotiations between Congress and the White House, last week congressional leaders finally announced a two-year budget agreement. In addition to setting top-line funding levels so that the government can keep running, the budget deal sets annual discretionary spending caps for defense and non-defense programs for fiscal years (FY) 2020 […]
From the Farm to the Hill: NSAC Hosts FY 2020 Farmer Fly-in
Last week, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) brought in over a dozen farmers and advocates for the Coalition’s second “farmer fly-in” of 2019. Fly-in advocates from ten different states across the country came to DC to champion the federal programs important to them and their communities before congressional appropriators. Currently, Congress is negotiating federal […]
House Funding Bill Includes Strong Support for Sustainable Agriculture
Appropriations season is well underway in the nation’s capital, with the House clearing the way for a bill that would boost funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration for the next fiscal year, starting on September 30. The fiscal year (FY) 2020 “minibus” appropriations bill passed this week by […]
Appropriations Victories in Sight, Farmers Flock to DC to Keep Momentum Going
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana KovalcikNational Sustainable Agriculture CoalitionP: 202-547-5754, E: rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Appropriations Victories in Sight, Farmers Flock to DC to Keep Momentum GoingNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalition fly-in participants hope to secure FY 2020 appropriations wins in final spending package Washington, D.C., June 27, 2019 – With big wins already secured for sustainable agriculture in […]
Appropriations Committee Sends Agriculture Funding Bill to House Floor
Editor’s Note: The House passed their FY 2020 minibus appropriations bill (including agriculture) 227:194 on June 24, 2019. This week, the House Appropriations Committee debated and advanced their Agriculture Appropriations bill for fiscal year (FY) 2020. The bill passed in Committee 29-21 along party lines, and will now be sent to the floor of the […]
House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Advances FY 2020 Funding Bill
The House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee passed its fiscal year (FY) 2020 bill just ahead of Congress’ Memorial Day recess, bringing them one step closer to providing funding for food and agriculture programs for FY 2020. The agriculture appropriations bill includes funding for a wide range of farm and food programs, including conservation initiatives, beginning farmer […]
RELEASE: FY 2020 House Agriculture Appropriations Bill Proposes to Block ERS NIFA Relocation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net FY 2020 House Agriculture Appropriations Bill Proposes to Block ERS NIFA RelocationNSAC applauds agriculture appropriators for proposal to block ERS NIFA relocation and realignment, investments in sustainable agriculture priorities Washington, DC, May 22, 2019 – This morning the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee released […]