Congress approves spending minibus and continuing resolution, falters on debt-reduction
Yesterday Congress easily passed a Fiscal Year 2012 "minibus" spending bill (H.R. 2112, approved in a 70-30 Senate vote, following a prior 298-121 House vote), and sent it on to the President for his signature, likely today. The measure also contains a continuing spending resolution that will keep the government funded and running through December 16. The minibus spending package includes the Fiscal Year 2012 Agriculture/FDA, Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS), and Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bills. The funding approved in the passed bill is in line with the $1.043 trillion spending cap that both parties agreed to within August's debt-reduction bill and among numerous cuts, reduces funding for agriculture conservation programs. USDA funding includes $844 million for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which ended up being $58 million above the original House appropriations bill amount and $7 million above the Senate's. And it includes $15 million for the Watershed Rehabilitation Program.
Congressional leaders have indicated over the past week that they plan to package the remaining nine appropriations bills into an omnibus bill, hoping to pass that before the current constituting spending authority ends on December 16.
In the meantime the deficit-reduction supercommittee's plan, due next Tuesday and meant to cut the deficit by at least $1.2 trillion over a decade, is on life-support, with hopes of a deal fading (see series of news links below). However, should a supercommittee deal happen, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee told POLITICO yesterday that Senate and House Agriculture Committee negotiators were close to striking a deal to pass on to the supercommittee a five-year plan (effectively a new Farm Bill) that would help meet deficit-reduction targets by projecting cuts something on the order of $23 billion from Farm Bill spending over 10 years. Should the supercommittee not be able to reach agreement on an overall deal, the Farm Bill details now being negotiated for inclusion in the supercommittee's plan could be resurrected early next year as a beginning basis for what would then be a more "traditional" Farm Bill negotiation process.
Agriculture -
- Grants available for farm/ranch sustainable agricultural practices in North Central US: MN & ND to KS, IL, OH http://bit.ly/uHn0dz
- US farm-product exports surged 27% to record $137.4 billion in year ending Sept. 30; China tops importers http://bloom.bg/tS5FHr
- Dry conditions have spread now into parts of the Southeast and Midwest, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor http://bit.ly/qBRrqC
- Drought across US South thatÃs already cost $10 billion appears to be expanding its reach http://usat.ly/teU30B
- Senators introduced the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act http://bit.ly/sTH5CI
- Ohio farmers battle sedimentation, nutrient runoff in creative ways http://tinyurl.com/86p2vg8
Farm Bill-
- Ag Committee negotiators signal they are near agreement on 5-year Farm Bill plan for supercommittee; paragraph 2: http://tinyurl.com/84sn4ys
- House and Senate Agriculture Committees are more than two weeks behind schedule on releasing Farm Bill details http://tinyurl.com/bqh8j87
- Farm Bureau Fed president predicts direct payment elimination, Conservation Reserve Program cuts in new Farm Bill http://tinyurl.com/73jxf4g
- Kansas State Agri Economist says multiple commodity Farm Bill program would have higher administrative costs http://tinyurl.com/d2tvyqq
Water Quality -
- DC Circuit Court becomes latest court to rule that EPA overstepped authority & "regulated" via interim guidance http://tinyurl.com/8yz7hqj
- NY Times editorial: Republicans just won’t give up on their misguided attempts to subvert the Clean Water Act http://tinyurl.com/6paqker
Water Resource Management (Floodplains, Dams, Navigation, Flooding, etc.) -
- Union of Concerned Scientists: Power plant water use increasing stress on lakes, rivers & aquifers across US http://tinyurl.com/6tpap4t
In the States -
- MPCA invites comments on water quality improvement report for streams in Zumbro River Watershed (MN) http://t.co/Ps3JGYt1
Federal Budget -
- Congress gives final approval to $182 billion domestic minibus spending bill & continuing resolution http://tinyurl.com/bq4sp7r
- If debt-reduction supercommittee is going to act, this is the week http://politi.co/vhiWjx & http://bit.ly/viRacD
- Signs of supercommittee stalemate increasing, with the consequence of possible failure http://tinyurl.com/7ly4phl
- Effort to combine Army Corps of Engineers funding with 2 other fiscal 2012 appropriations measures falls apart http://tinyurl.com/csnpjc9
- Majority Leader Reid warns Senate they may stay in DC through Thanksgiving on budget issues http://tinyurl.com/bpxghsv
Events -
- USGS Webinar: New Online Management Tool to Help Guide Action on Excessive Nutrients in Rivers & Estuaries; Dec. 2 http://on.doi.gov/uwN3IN
e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -
- American Farmland Trust's November issue of its E-news is now on-line http://bit.ly/ugTVKv
Other news-
- U.S. Forest Service Solicits Pre-Proposals for Urban Forest Innovation Grants - due December 1 http://tinyurl.com/8946ja8
Political Scene -
- Third Democrat jumps into the primary to challenge US Rep. Robert Dold (R-IL) http://bit.ly/uaZ7Gf
- Top-ten "vulnerable" US House incumbents include many in Mississippi River Basin http://bit.ly/tnZLf1
- Maplight study shows agribusinesses have given generously to farm-state lawmakers over last decade http://tinyurl.com/76bmsnv
- Court hearings begin on Republican lawsuit to overturn new IL Congressional map http://tinyurl.com/7mjoxpv
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