Industry and others criticize the proposed USDA budget

U.S. President Donald J. Trump has proposed a fiscal year 2018 budget for the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture at $137 billion, which is down $12 billion from the estimated $149 billion in FY 2017. In addition, the proposed budget would drastically cut costs over the next 10 years and eliminate some programs entirely. Since the proposed budget was released on May 23, many legislators and industry groups have spoken out against the cuts. Here’s what some have to say:

Rep. Collin Peterson (D., Minn.): “This budget should be a warning to people in rural America. For years, groups like the Freedom Caucus, Heritage Foundation and Club for Growth have been advocating for these exact policies as part of their goal to completely do away with farm programs. They are now closer to making this a reality than ever before.”

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D., Mich.): “The proposed cuts to important farm and family safety net programs, including crop insurance and SNAP, are harsh and short sighted. By zeroing out critical funding for rural infrastructure and job-creating programs, the budget proposal neglects the needs of every small town in rural America.”

Michael Conaway (R., Texas): “I am concerned that the cuts, while relatively small in the context of the total federal budget, could hamper some vital work of the department. I think it is very important to remember that net farm income is down 50% from where it stood just four years ago. America’s farmers and ranchers are struggling, and we need to be extremely careful not to exacerbate these conditions.”

Leslie G. Sarasin, president and CEO of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI): “As the President’s proposal, it is meant to message priorities the Administration views as important, such as additional spending on defense. The Congress will work through its budget process and will include additional priorities to serve as the basis for an agreed upon framework. As this process goes forward we look forward to working with the Administration, the Budget Committee, and the House and Senate Agriculture Committees to address concerns to the food retail industry, including the flawed policy of imposing fees on food retailers in order to reduce the cost of the federal government’s nutrition assistance benefits to the most needy in our society.”

Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF): “The AFBF and its members are concerned about the federal budget deficit … [The proposed budget] would gut federal crop insurance, one of the nation’s most important farm safety-net programs. It would drastically reshape important voluntary conservation programs and negatively impact consumer confidence in critical meat and poultry inspection.”

Ron Moore, president of the American Soybean Association : “By shredding our farm safety net, slashing critical agricultural research and conservation initiatives, and hobbling our access to foreign markets, this budget is a blueprint for how to make already difficult times in rural America even worse.”

Rush Holt, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS): “Slashing funding of critically important federal agencies threatens our nation’s ability to advance cures for disease, develop new energy technologies, improve public health, train the next generation of scientists and engineers and grow the American economy.”