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To Members of the NASULGC System:
- Board on Agriculture Assembly
- Budget and Advocacy Committee
- Council on Agricultural
Research, Extension, and Teaching
The Senate Appropriations Committee marked up
the F.Y. 2009 Agriculture Appropriations bill earlier today. As
shown in Table 1, the Senate provided $38.319 million in
increases for the Budget and Advocacy Committee's priorities for
the USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension
Service (CSREES), with 10 of the BAC's 14 priorities receiving
additional funds (compared to F.Y. 2008).
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Table 1: BAC's CSREES Priorities
for F.Y. 2009
(All figures in $Millions) |
|
|
|
Targeted Enhancements |
F.Y. 2008 |
NASULGC |
House |
|
Senate |
|
Smith Lever 3(b) and 3(c) |
274,660,000 |
300,000,000 |
290,000,000 |
|
288,393,000 |
|
Hatch Act |
195,812,000 |
215,000,000 |
213,000,000 |
|
205,602,000 |
|
Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program |
65,557,000 |
65,557,000 |
66,000,000 |
|
65,557,000 |
|
Evans-Allen Program (Research) |
41,051,000 |
48,953,000 |
44,000,000 |
|
43,104,000 |
|
1890 Institutions Extension |
35,850,000 |
43,000,000 |
40,000,000 |
|
37,643,000 |
|
McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry |
24,791,000 |
30,008,000 |
26,000,000 |
|
26,031,000 |
|
1994 Institutions Extension |
3,298,000 |
5,000,000 |
3,321,000 |
|
3,298,000 |
|
1994 Institutions Research |
1,533,000 |
3,000,000 |
1,544,000 |
|
1,600,000 |
|
Resident Instruction Grants - Insular Areas |
745,000 |
745,000 |
1,000,000 |
|
745,000 |
|
|
|
Support for CSREES Priorities |
F.Y. 2008 |
NASULGC |
House |
|
Senate |
|
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative* |
190,883,000 |
256,500,000 |
202,000,000 |
|
200,000,000 |
|
Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative |
9,831,000 |
14,277,000 |
9,831,000 |
|
9,830,000 |
|
Institution Challenge Grants |
5,385,000 |
6,695,000 |
5,385,000 |
|
5,654,000 |
|
Graduate Fellowship Grants |
3,675,000 |
4,455,000 |
3,675,000 |
|
3,859,000 |
|
New Technologies for Extension (eXtension) |
1,475,000 |
2,970,000 |
1,485,000 |
|
1,549,000 |
|
|
|
TOTALS |
854,546,000 |
985,615,000 |
907,241,000 |
|
892,865,000 |
|
|
|
|
Increase over F.Y. 2008 >> |
$52,695,000 |
|
$38,319,000 |
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*Formerly
the National Research Initiative. |
|
|
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ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION
1. Earmarks
The Senate made significant reductions in the CSREES
accounts generally considered "earmarks." As shown in Table 2,
these reductions total $66.876 million (compared to F.Y. 2008).
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Table 2: Special Research
Grants and Federal Administration Grants
(All figures in $Millions) |
|
|
F.Y. 2008 |
House |
|
Senate |
|
Special Research Grants |
91,775,000 |
68,211,000 |
|
50,379,000 |
|
Federal Administration Grants (Research) |
42,154,000 |
34,317,000 |
|
20,373,000 |
|
Federal Administration Grants (Extension) |
17,180,000 |
14,179,000 |
|
13,481,000 |
|
|
|
Total |
151,109,000 |
116,707,000 |
|
84,233,000 |
|
|
|
Decrease below F.Y. 2008 >> |
|
- $34,402,000 |
|
- $66,876,000 |
2. Limitation on New Mandatory Programs
The 2008 Farm Bill included mandatory funding for three new
CSREES programs: (1) Organic Agriculture Research & Extension
Initiative; (2) Specialty Crop Research Initiative; and (3)
Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. As shown in
Table 3, the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee did
not impose any "limitations" on these mandatory funds. However,
the Senate Appropriations Committee reduces mandatory funding
for these three new programs by a total of $19 million.
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Table 3: Mandatory
Funding Program Limitations (F.Y. 2009)
(All figures in $Millions) |
|
|
Authorized |
House |
|
Senate |
|
Organic Agriculture Research / Extension |
18,000,000 |
18,000,000 |
|
16,000,000 |
|
Specialty Crop Research |
50,000,000 |
50,000,000 |
|
36,000,000 |
|
Beginning Farmer & Rancher Development |
19,000,000 |
19,000,000 |
|
16,000,000 |
|
|
|
Total |
87,000,000 |
87,000,000 |
|
68,000,000 |
|
|
|
Reduction
in Mandatory Funds >> |
|
$0 |
|
- $19,000,000 |
3. Indirect Cost Recovery
The 2008 Farm Bill requires a dollar-for-dollar match for
the newly created Specialty Crop Research Initiative.
CSREES has prohibited universities from counting their
"unrecovered indirect costs" towards the required matching
amount. The Senate bill -- at the land-grant system's request --
includes legislative language that would, if enacted, permit
"unrecovered indirect costs" to count towards the required
non-federal match.
LINK
Spreadsheet with all CSREES Accounts:
www.nasulgc-bac.com/documents/FY2009/Senate.xls
CONCLUSION
The Senate Appropriations Committee has reported the
F.Y. 2009 Agriculture Appropriations bill. However, the House
Appropriations Committee has not yet reported its version of the
bill and the results provided in Cornerstone's June 17 report
are recommendations by the subcommittee and not approved
(reported) by the full committee. The F.Y. 2009 appropriations
process remains very fluid and it is unclear how the "end-game" will
proceed. We will, of course, continue to keep you apprised of
developments.
ERRATA
The previous Cornerstone Report from Washington
erroneously listed the BAC's request for the McIntire-Stennis
Cooperative Forestry program as $19,463,000. The correct amount
of the request as presented to the House and Senate was
$30,008,000 as shown in Table 1, above. We regret the error.
The Cornerstone Team
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