Press Release

HOUSE PASSES AG APPROPRIATIONS BILL

Washington, D.C.

May 24, 2006

The House of Representatives passed the Fiscal Year 2007 Agriculture Appropriations bill last night.

Congressman Sanford Bishop, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, helped shape the bill, which passed by a vote of 378 to 46.

“I am very pleased that the House voted to continue to support our Nation’s vital agricultural programs,” Congressman Bishop said. “America lives or dies on the backs of our farmers. I am proud of the work they do for us every day and it is my honor to fight for them in Congress. Although this bill is not perfect, I vow to continue in my efforts to make our agriculture programs more helpful to farmers in Georgia and across America.”

The bill includes more than $7.1 million in research and conservation programs for Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District and surrounding communities.

The funding includes: $704,635 for Water Use Reduction in Dawson; $586,215 for Water Resources Management in Tifton; $603,409 for Pecan Scab Research in Byron; $882,000 for research on agricultural water quality at the Georgia Soil and Water Commission and $131,799 for Peanut Research in Dawson.

The Agriculture Appropriations Act for FY 2007 provides $94.79 billion in mandatory and discretionary spending for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and other related agencies. This includes $25.7 billion for the Commodity Credit Corporation, $2.4 billion in rural development programs, $1.1 billion for agricultural research and $37.9 billion to fund food stamps. The Appropriations bill is nearly $7 billion smaller than last year’s version, but is $190 million over the Administration’s request.

“Our agricultural tradition literally forms the backbone of South West Georgia and the Agricultural Appropriations bill that we passed last night goes a long way towards ensuring its continued strength,” said Congressman Bishop. “Not only are we expanding our crop and livestock production, but we are taking important steps to protect the environment, by conserving our precious natural resources. This is a bill that we can truly be proud of.”

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