To Members of the NASULGC System
- Board on Agriculture Assembly
- Budget and Advocacy Committee
- Council on Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching

Earlier today,  the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee held a hearing to discuss the Administration's F.Y. 2009 Budget Request for the USDA Research, Education, and Economics (REE) mission area. The USDA Under Secretary for REE, Dr. Gale Buchanan, testified and was accompanied by the ARS, CSREES, and ERS Administrators.

Subcommittee members in attendance for part or all of the hearing included Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Jack Kingston (R-GA),  Sam Farr (D-CA), Tom Latham (R-IA), Sanford Bishop (D-GA), and Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL). Subcommittee members asked a variety of questions, ranging from big-picture national issues (e.g. nutrition, biofuels) to project-specific concerns. With respect to CSREES and the land-grant university system, various questions/concerns were expressed:

Chairwoman Rep. DeLauro in her opening statement expressed her concern about the President's budget proposals with respect to Hatch, McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry funding, telling the Under Secretary: "I am concerned about your budget’s proposal to redirect a significant percentage of Hatch formula funds and McIntire-Stennis funds to national competitively awarded multi-state projects. Competition is not a bad thing but this plan may destabilize our land-grant and forestry funding system. As a nation we depend on our land-grant system to provide certain services and we cannot afford to compromise its ability to meet those commitments."

Rep. Latham stated his opposition to the reductions and/or redirections contained in the President's budget request concerning the Hatch and McIntire-Stennis programs at CSREES.

Rep. Latham asked Under Secretary Buchanan about when Congress could expect implementation of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment program. Dr. Buchanan responded that there had been some implementation already.

Rep. Bishop expressed his strong support for the 1890s Extension and Research (Evans-Allen) programs and asked CSREES Administrator Dr. Colien Hefferan to explain why there were decreases proposed in the President's budget below the F.Y. 2008 enacted levels. Dr. Hefferan responded that the budget is based upon the prior year's budget and not the enacted level. Dr. Hefferan went on to note that the agency recognized the strong value of the 1890s programs, including the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP).

Ranking Member Rep. Kingston asked Dr. Buchanan about biofuels and potential competition between "food and fuel." Buchanan responded that biofuels was a priority for the REE mission area and that a new strategic plan would be released shortly.

Rep. Latham asked what would happen if, as some propose, the entire government were to operate without regular appropriations bills through spring 2009 (when the next President would be in office). Dr. Hefferan stated that under a long-term Continuing Resolution there would be problems at CSREES passing appropriations through to the agency's land-grant university partners.

Rep. Kingston asked why USDA continues to "study" obesity instead of moving more rapidly to implement research findings already available. Dr. Hefferan and others detailed the many ways in which USDA is moving forward to combat obesity, including EFNEP and Food Stamp education.

Rep. DeLauro noted for the record that the President's budget would cut EFNEP by more than $3 million from the F.Y. 2008 enacted level.

Rep. Farr asked what the USDA research agencies were doing to work together on food safety. After an explanation of collaborative efforts by others at the witness table, Dr. Hefferan explained the activities taking place within CSREES, including the NRI.

Rep. Farr asked what CSREES was doing with the report on food safety of leafy green vegetables in response to the expert panel convened on that subject. Dr. Hefferan responded that the agency was using this report, and other stakeholder input, to guide allocation of budgetary resources.

Rep. Kingston asked about progress in addressing the honeybee colony collapse disease (CCD) problem. Dr. Buchanan responded that USDA was requesting a 10 percent funding increase to continue research and theory testing.

Rep. DeLauro asked how USDA research results "get into the public domain." Dr. Buchanan responded that one way was through publication in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Hefferan stated that the Cooperative Extension System was also a primary means for disseminating research results to end-users ranging from homeowners to farmers. Dr. Buchanan then mentioned the successful launch of the eXtension program and Dr. Hefferan commented that the power of eXtension was that this Internet resource is based upon sound research and organized according to Communities of Practice, a strong model.

The Cornerstone Team