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The Senate followed the House’s lead in passing an omnibus spending package that will fund the government for fiscal year 2022. The bill now heads to the president to be signed into law.
The overdue package includes $1.5 trillion in discretionary spending across 12 annual bills and $13.6 billion in emergency spending to address the crisis in Ukraine. Several ag and food related provisions were also included, including:
- $3 million for the NIFA Potato Breeding Special Research grants;
- Prohibits USDA from placing limitations on potatoes in the school breakfast program;
- $834 million for the increased purchasing of fruits and vegetables by participants in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition assistance program;
- $550 million broadband programs, including $487 million for the USDA ReConnect grant and loan program;
- $3.5 billion for agriculture research; and,
- $237 million for the McGovern-Dole school feeding program.
Notably, the Growing Climate Solutions Act as well as an extension of school nutrition waivers issued at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic – which allowed schools to offer free meals to all students, regardless of their families’ ability to pay for them – were left out of the package.
