Appropriations Moving Forward

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Appropriations Moving Forward

 


Congress passed, and the President signed H.R. 4366, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, which provides funding for the following six bills: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; Transportation, House and Urban Development, and Related Agencies.

 


Provisions of interest include:

 

  • $3.5 million appropriation for the administration and enforcement of the Horse Protection Act. AHC requested a funding level of $4 million. The Horse Protection Act is a federal law that prohibits sored horses from participating in shows, exhibitions, sales, or auctions. It also prohibits the transportation of sored horses to or from any of these events.
  • Continued de-funding of horse slaughter.
  • The Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program was allocated $10 million.
  • $15 million was allocated to fund the implementation of a controversial program to provide electronic tagging of cattle in the U.S.

 


Next up is the 2024 package of appropriations for Defense, Financial Services-General Government, Homeland Security, Labor-HHS-Education, Legislative Branch, and State-Foreign Operations. This tranche has a deadline of Friday, March 22.

 


Speculation continues around the fate of the Farm Bill. There is a push to take it up after the remaining 2024 appropriation bills clear, but negotiations over nutrition and climate programs remain contentious.

 


The Biden Administration has released its Fiscal Year 2025 budget requests, which we will review in an upcoming newsletter.