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House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture hears wide-ranging FY2027 funding requests for food aid, research and local projects
Summary
Members and witnesses at a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture hearing urged robust FY2027 funding for food assistance (SNAP, TEFAP), farm‑to‑school and specialty‑crop programs, research initiatives including AFRI and precision‑agriculture facilities, and community projects such as fire trucks and flood‑control sluice gates.
WASHINGTON — Members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture and a string of witnesses pressed the panel to prioritize a range of food‑security, research and rural infrastructure needs as Congress drafts the fiscal 2027 agriculture appropriations bill.
"Many growers are operating at a loss every year just to ensure that we have food," Mr. Schreyer said, urging the subcommittee to provide full funding for the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and to increase domestic food purchases to boost supplies for emergency feeding operations.
The hearing, which the chair said will inform the FY2027 bill, featured multiple funding requests and program priorities. Testimony called for $18 million for the Farm to School Grant Program to help schools source local foods and $60 million for School Kitchen Equipment Grants with a lower $1,000 minimum procurement threshold so districts can buy smaller items needed to implement new child‑nutrition rules.
Witnesses and members repeatedly tied international food assistance to domestic farm markets. "We must fully fund Food for Peace," Mr. Jackson said, noting about 73,000 households in his district rely on SNAP and warning that underfunding food‑assistance programs would deepen hunger and harm both families and farmers.
Researchers and representatives from high‑specialty‑crop districts urged sustained investments in research and market development. Mr. Baird called for restoring the Agricultural Food and Research Initiative (AFRI) to $500 million and backing an advanced agricultural R&D authority to pursue high‑risk, high‑reward innovation. Mr. Flood requested $16 million for a USDA research center for resilient and regenerative precision agriculture at the University of Nebraska, noting prior congressional support and state matching funds.
Several witnesses sought targeted program restorations and formula changes. Ms. Ruiz asked the subcommittee to increase Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) funding to $350 million, to restore the Local Food Purchase Assistance and Local Agriculture Market programs, and to revise the Specialty Crop Block Grant distribution formula to reflect concentrated specialty‑crop production in certain districts.
Market‑development and animal‑health programs also featured in testimony. Mr. Messmer urged stronger support for the BioPreferred program and additional staffing and funding for USDA's Center for Veterinary Biologics to expedite reviews amid foreign animal disease threats.
Local community project requests included Mr. Van Drew's request for $2,637,000 to buy four replacement fire trucks distributed across his district and $2.7 million from the Rural Water account to build three sluice gates in Salem County, N.J., for flood mitigation; he said USDA already determined eligibility for those projects and local recipients have pledged nonfederal matches.
Committee leaders and the Ranking Member thanked witnesses and said the subcommittee will consider the testimony as it drafts the FY2027 appropriations package. The hearing concluded with the chair adjourning the subcommittee.
The testimony did not include any formal votes or committee actions; members and witnesses made funding requests and program recommendations that will be considered during the drafting process.
