In its first action of the 117th Congress, the House Agriculture Committee passed its portion of the budget reconciliation bill to conform with the FY 2022 budget resolution. The measure passed on a party line vote of 24 to 23, and all amendments – save one – failed on a party line vote. Included in the bill was:

$4 billion to remain available until expended at the Secretary’s discretion to purchase commodities, distribute produce, diary products, seafood, meat, and eggs to private feeding programs and non-profits, provide grants to small and mid-sized food processors and distributors for worker COVID protections, and loans and grants for food and agricultural “supply chain resiliency” – this includ...