Rep. Schrier Introduces Bill to Increase Agricultural Research Funding

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08) has introduced a bill with Reps. Cheri Bustos (IL-17) and Jimmy Panetta (CA-20) that would authorize a five percent annual funding increase over the next five years at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The America Grows Act would restore U.S. commitment to publicly-funded agriculture research, which has been largely flat for decades. A companion bill has been introduced in the Senate by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL).

"We have seen outstanding work come out of our research institutions, including Washington State University," said Rep. Schrier, a member of the Committee on Agriculture. "With agriculture as one of the main drivers of our state's economy, research and research funding are increasingly vital for farmers and growers to keep up with the changing economy and climate. The investment made by the America Grows Act will allow for consistent funding crucial for the future of agriculture in our state and country."

The America Grows Act authorizes a five percent annual funding increase over the next five years for research activities at the USDA specifically at the Agriculture Research Service (ARS), National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA), National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS), and Economic Research Service (ERS). The investments made today will help ensure we have the tools in place to address epidemics affecting our crops, like the Little Cherry Disease, which is devastating entire orchards in parts of Central Washington.

"WSU's agricultural researchers benefit from world-class infrastructure and collaborations located throughout Washington State supporting our $49 billion food and agricultural industry. We use the investment from federal and state resources to perform the leading-edge agricultural research that keeps this industry at the forefront of innovation," said Dr. Chris Keane, Vice President for Research at Washington State University. "Having a consistent source of funding as proposed in the America Grows Act will allow our faculty to address emerging challenges and leverage collective expertise to bring solutions to our agricultural stakeholders that are timely, practical and effective."

Earlier this week, Rep. Schrier participated in the Agriculture Committee's hearing with the USDA on agriculture research funding. Rep. Schrier made it clear to the USDA how critical it is to fill already-funded research positions at the USDA. Leaving these positions unfilled hurts our farmers and WSU researchers.

Additionally, Rep. Schrier has been fighting to fix an omission in the 2018 Farm Bill that changed the Agriculture Secretary's ability to waive matching fund requirements for Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) Grants. Because of Rep. Schrier's advocacy, a short-term fix will be implemented in current and future funding bills until a permanent fix can be made.