Heinrich Opens Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, delivered opening remarks at a hearing to review the President’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is the witness.
The testimony and an archived video of today’s hearing can be found here.
Chairman Heinrich’s remarks as prepared for delivery are below:
Good morning.
This hearing of the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee is now called to order.
I would like to begin by welcoming Secretary Vilsack.
Joining the Secretary is Mr. John Rapp, Budget Director for the Department of Agriculture.
We welcome you both here today.
This is my first hearing as Chairman of this subcommittee.
And I am looking forward to a good discussion on the fiscal year 2024 budget request for the Department of Agriculture.
The programs and activities of this department affect every American, from farmers and rural communities to children and families who depend on healthy and nutritious food.
This subcommittee must ensure that USDA has the resources you need to fulfill your broad and critical mission.
The budget request for USDA is ambitious, and it includes significant increases across the board.
The request totals $24.5 billion, which is an increase of $2 billion.
I am pleased that the budget focuses on providing tools to producers and rural communities to address the climate crisis.
And it calls for coordination of climate solutions across the entire Department.
I look forward to discussing these initiatives and how this subcommittee can play a role in this critical issue.
We also know that affordable housing is a major challenge in my home state of New Mexico and across the country, especially in rural areas.
The budget includes needed increases and innovative policy proposals to grow our affordable housing stock in rural communities and ensure that all Americans can access a safe and affordable place to call home.
Another issue of great importance to both of us is ensuring all of our children can receive healthy and nutritious food.
Without this, our children cannot learn or thrive.
So I am pleased to see increases to vital nutrition programs.
It is clear that USDA has much work to do, and I look forward to a robust discussion today.
I am also looking forward to starting the appropriations process and working with all members of this subcommittee to draft an agriculture bill that supports these vital programs.
I want to briefly reiterate the importance of reaching a bipartisan topline agreement.
We must invest in non-defense programs if we want to move this country forward.
We have important work to do, and we need to come together to bring back regular order.
That will not be easy, but I stand ready to work with every member as we continue to move this process forward.
With that, I will turn to Ranking Member Hoeven for any statement he may have.
I will quickly add that I am looking forward to working with you and continuing the bipartisan tradition of this subcommittee.
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