Senate Debates FY12 Agriculture Spending Bill

On October 18, the Senate began debate on the fiscal year (FY) 2012 agriculture appropriations bill. The bill would reduce funding for conservation programs by more than $700 million and would cut funding for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) in half. It would sustain funding, however, for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP).

H.R. 2112 , the appropriations bill passed by the House earlier this year, would reduce conservation programs by about $1 billion below FY2011 levels, cut funding for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) by $72.7 million (-97 percent) , and eliminate all funding for BCAP (-$112 million).

The Senate version would cut a little less from conservation programs (-$726 million or -12 percent, compared to FY11 spending levels), cut less from REAP (-$36.5 million or -49 percent), but would sustain current funding levels for BCAP, according to the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition .

On bioenergy related matters, during floor debate this week, Sen. McCain (R-AZ) reportedly planned to introduce, but then withdrew, an amendment to bar all funding to subsidize the installation of ethanol blender pumps and storage tanks. Sen. Coburn (R-OK) introduced an amendment to eliminate all funding for the REAP program, claiming mistakenly that it is a biofuels program.