Eight Boebert Amendments Aimed at Safeguarding America's Food Supply and Rural Priorities Pass the House!
Congresswoman Lauren Boebert passed eight important amendments, seven of which had strong bipartisan votes, to protect America’s food supply and support rural America.
Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-03) said, “Big wins for the Third District in the Agriculture Appropriations bill as I passed 8 amendments, all but one of which had strong bipartisan support. My legislative successes redirect wasteful spending in the bill to support rural water and waste systems that provide clean drinking water, fund school equipment and breakfast programs, fund cooperative forestry research that will help actively manage our forests and reduce wildfires, fund the National School Lunch Program, fight against specialty crop pests, and support the interests of rural America. Together, we're working to fund important agriculture programs and provide a better future for all Americans. We're also eliminating divisive, 'woke' policies from the USDA, ensuring that our government serves all Americans fairly and without bias.”
Background:
The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies bill provides a non-defense discretionary total of $25.313 billion for programs under the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee, $532 million (2.1%) below the FY23 enacted level and $3.622 billion (12.5%) below the FY24 President’s Budget Request. The Subcommittee’s allocation is $17.838 billion, and the House bill includes another $7.475 billion that is offset by clawing back the Democrats’ wasteful spending over the last two years and ending pandemic-era programs. The bill prioritizes agencies and programs that protect our nation’s food supply and supports America’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.
In the 118th Congress, Congresswoman Boebert has been an extremely effective legislator, focusing on the needs of the Third Congressional District and delivering numerous legislative victories. Specifically, three of the Congresswoman’s bills and 34 of her amendments have passed the House. She also passed six bills through the House Committee on Natural Resources and the House Committee on Administration. In addition, the Congresswoman has secured $19.7 million for important water and infrastructure projects in the Third District through Community Project Funding requests included in House Appropriations bills.
Congresswoman Boebert successfully passed eight amendments through the House of Representatives to H.R. 4368. These amendments include:
- Boebert Amendment No. 153 -This amendment would reduce funding for the Office of the Chief Information Officer by $3 million, and use $2 million of these savings to increase funding to cooperative forestry research to actively manage forests and reduce wildfires, insects, diseases, and other destructive agents. This is a pivotal step toward sustainable forest management. It emphasizes cooperative research and active forest stewardship, safeguarding ecological and economic benefits. By allocating resources strategically and promoting collaboration, this amendment fosters a healthier, more resilient forest ecosystem, while also contributing to the reduction of wildfires.
- Boebert Amendment No. 152 -This amendment would reduce funding for the Office of Hearings and Appeals by $2 million. This amendment would use these savings to increase funding for competitive grants to State agencies for subgrants for local educational agencies and schools to purchase equipment to establish, maintain or expand the school breakfast program. It is unjust for students to go hungry while substantial sums of money are allocated to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs that seem to yield no tangible benefits. Schools everywhere should have the food and equipment needed to ensure every student has the highest chance of success.
- Boebert Amendment No. 151 - This amendment would increase funding in Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program account by $2 million and decrease spending in the Office of General Counsel account by the same amount. The purpose of this amendment is to provide increased resources for technical assistance grants for rural water and waste systems This will help state and local officials effectively communicate and provide assistance to various system owners and operators across the nation, ensuring high-quality drinking water for users.
- Boebert Amendment No. 155 - Redirects resources in the bill to help reduce specialty crop pests. Crop pests are invasive species that threaten to harm our crops and trees. Left unchecked, they can devastate entire agricultural industries, eliminating jobs, threatening our food supplies and costing billions. Colorado's Third Congressional District is home to a variety of crops, including Olathe sweet corn and top-of-the-line potatoes from the San Luis Valley. These crops are currently under attack from invasive pests, making it crucial to protect them. This amendment would increase funding in the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service by $3 million with the goal of reducing specialty crop pests, and decrease funding for the Office of Secretary by the same amount.
- Boebert Amendment No. 154 - Redirects resources in the bill to the National School Lunch Program. It has been demonstrated that students achieve significantly better academic performance when they are well fed at school. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford to cover the cost of school lunches, underscoring the increasing importance of reallocating funds to ensure that everyone has access to a nutritious meal, thereby enabling them to excel in school. This amendment would reduce funding for the Office of Hearings and Appeals by $3 million, and use the savings to increase funding for child nutrition programs.
- Boebert Amendment No. 132 -This amendment would redirect $2 million in funding in from the Office of the Secretary to the Inspector General to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse, and to bring funding for the IG up closer to the budget request in order to hold Biden’s bureaucrats accountable and ensure accountability as well as transparency at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
- Boebert Amendment No. 138 - Utilizes the Holman Rule to reduce the salary of the Deputy Under Secretary of the Food and Nutrition Service of the Department of Agriculture, Stacy Dean, to $1. Ms. Dean has spent her career helping bureaucrats use loopholes and gimmicks to gut work requirements for able-bodied adults and bypass federal eligibility requirements, even going so far as to help states make millionaires qualify for the program.
- Boebert Amendment No. 146 - Prevents USDA from using funds for woke courses, books and study guides. Biden’s rogue bureaucrats implemented woke courses, books and study guides for department employee trainings that defy Congressional intent and mandate leftist indoctrination. Mandated department courses and curriculum for federal employees included topics like “Pride Leadership: Strategies for LGBTQ+ Leaders to be the King or Queen of Their Jungle, The Queer Advantage: Conversations with LGBTQ+ Leaders on the Power of Identity, Out and Proud: Approaching LGBT Issues in the Workplace, Gender Ambiguity in the Workplace: Transgender and Gender-Diverse Discrimination, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) Program.
Congresswoman Lauren Boebert submitted numerous appropriations requests that were included in the base bill. Read the full letter from Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee Chairmen Andy Harris listing her priorities HERE.
Congresswoman Boebert’s policies that were included in the base bill include:
1. $5 million for the Rio Blanco District Water Infrastructure Improvements.
2. $1.576 million for the Huerfano County Waster Infrastructure Project.
3. $1.05 billion in loan authority for the Department of Agriculture's Rural Water and Waste Disposal Account.
4. $21.82 million provided for the Department of Agriculture's Circuit Rider program.
5. $7.5 million for the Farm Service Agency Grassroots Source Water Protection Program.
To read the full bill click here.