House Passes Ag Appropriations in Minibus Spending Bill, President May Veto

As quickly as the House passed on party-line votes, its versions of the Fiscal Year 2020 spending bills for federal agencies, including USDA, the White House said ‘no.’  The bills, lumped together in so-called ‘minibusses’ that include a $ 24 billion USDA spending bill, are laden with policy riders the White House says the President can’t accept.  Among them, spending bans for USDA’s ERS and NIFA relocations, the border wall, and a census citizenship question.

“The President’s already issued, the White House has already issued a presidential veto threat," said American Farm Bureau’s RJ Karney.

And it’s not just about the Democratic political riders.

"Until Congress can agree on top-line funding levels for discretionary caps, it’s going to be difficult to see any bill make it to the White House for signature.”

And without a House-Senate-White House agreement, there’s a high probability of having another stop-gap by September 30th.

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