Opening Remarks at Full Committee Markup of Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Bill

Thank you, Mister Chairman,

I rise in opposition of this year’s Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA, and Related Agencies bill. Since January the Trump Administration has taken steps to undermine many of the programs within this bill. Now House Republicans are following President Trump’s lead and walking away from our commitments to help the American people stay healthy. This bill undercuts support that Americans rely on to put food on their tables and that our farmers need to keep our agricultural communities economically strong. It cuts the Food and Drug Administration and agricultural research. The bill cuts the Food and Drug Administration by $322 million, a nearly 10% cut. It cuts $100 million from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children and reduces the fresh fruit and vegetable voucher program that gets nutritious food to our seniors. And it cuts funding for our research at the Agricultural Research Service. But let me talk about some of the cuts that have already happened under this administration. In my home state of Minnesota, nearly $20 million in USDA food purchasing agreements were terminated President Trump and DOGE. One of these grants was a $13 million Local Food for Schools and Child Care Cooperative agreement. That is money that our schools and childcare institutions were using to purchase locally-grown food--Providing children healthy meals while supporting local farmers at the same time. Without these federal dollars, costs to state and local government will rise, and taxpayers will feel the impact. Especially in states like Minnesota, where every child can access school meals at no cost, thanks to our governor and the state legislature using federal resources efficiently. But it’s these food programs that also take pressure off of our community food shelves. Last week, I held a town hall meeting about focused on the impacts of the “Big Beautiful Bill” on my constituents. Open Cupboard, a food shelf with locations in Oakdale and Maplewood, shared that SNAP serves 9 meals for every one meal served by a food shelf. We need all these hunger solutions working together, because when SNAP and WIC are cut, more people in our communities will simply go hungry. I’m also concerned that this administration has made “soft cuts.” In the FDA, it has kept offices open but has removed nearly all staff. One example is FDA’s Office of Minority Health and Health Equity. This office has had its staff reduced from 13 people to one. And these staff cuts have left a non-profit in my district, Beautywell, without an effective partner. Beautywell works to educate communities of color about the danger of using skin lightening products. Skin lightening products often contain harmful heavy metals and chemicals that can lead to permanent skin damage and even permanent blindness. A 2023 study conducted by Northwestern University stated that 21 percent of women reported using skin lighteners at some point. In that same study, however, only 23 percent of those who used skin lighteners received information from a medical provider. This is where non-profit partnerships bridge the gap. Without the minimal partnership support they receive from FDA, the women and children that Beautywell educate will be left behind. And we will not be able to prevent this harm. As appropriators, we must get back to completing full-year appropriations bills – complete with input we receive from our constituents, that we pass into law for the administration to follow.

I hope that we can work together to improve these bills for the American people, so that we are not facing another disastrous Continuing Resolution at the end of this fiscal year.

Thank you, Mister Chairman, I yield back.