Appropriations Bill Moves Forward

June 23, 2006 - The U.S. Senate moved forward this week on the fiscal year 2007 (FY2007) Appropriations Bill with the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee markup of the bill on Tuesday and the full Appropriations Committee completing its final markup on Wednesday and Thursday.

The FY2006 level of funding was $16.8 billion and the Senate version for next year supports $18.2 billion.

An amendment on agriculture disaster relief put forward by Sens. Conrad Burns (Mont.-R) and Byron Dorgan (N.D.-D) was approved by the full committee. This amendment provides sheep producers' similar provisions as the earlier disaster assistance package that had been considered in June.

"In the next few days, the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) will be reviewing the final committee bill regarding funding recommendations for key sheep industry programs such as scrapie eradication, wildlife services, the National Sheep Industry Improvement Center and research, along with the disaster assistance," commented Peter Orwick, ASI executive director.

ASI joined nearly 25 other agricultural organizations earlier in the week urging the Senate appropriations committee to support the agricultural disaster assistance amendment being considered for the FY2007 bill. Virtually every state in the nation has been impacted by significant weather-related and disaster losses with about 80 percent of U.S. counties declared disaster or contiguous disaster counties last year due to hurricanes, fires, floods, excessive moister and severe drought.

Staff contact: Peter Orwick, ext. 33

<< Back