Coons’ priorities included in annual appropriations bill

Sen. Chris Coons, the first Delaware senator in more than four decades to serve on the critical Appropriations Committee, joined his colleagues on the committee to approve the annual Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. This bill passed out of the Appropriations Committee unanimously and is now ready for consideration by the full Senate.

“Delaware plays a vital role in feeding America’s families, and finding ways to support our hardworking farmers and poultry growers is one of my top priorities,”  Coons said. “I’m thrilled this bill includes funding for critical programs that will protect Delaware’s poultry growers from disease and catastrophic loss, and help farmers continue their conservation efforts in the Chesapeake Bay. This bill also provides increased support for rural housing to make sure low-income families can secure fair, affordable housing. I’m pleased the committee has worked in a bipartisan way to support these and many related programs.”

A list of Coons’ priorities that were included in spending bills follows.

Support for the poultry industry

Coons fought for $55 million for avian health programs, which support partnerships with state departments of agriculture, universities and the poultry industry to monitor poultry flocks, and prevent and control the spread of diseases, including avian influenza, which devastated the poultry industry in the West and Midwest last year.

Support for conservation programs

Coons fought for strong funding for several U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs, including the Conservation Stewardship Program, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program. These programs offer crucial tools that help farmers in Delaware and the U.S. protect water quality, conserve soil, enhance wildlife habitat and protect land. This supports conservation of the nation’s natural resources, helps sustain hunting and fishing traditions and helps keep America’s working lands in the hands of farm families for generations to come.

Support for agricultural research

Coons fought for $375 million for the Agricultural and Food Research Initiative, which provides critical funding for research on food, agriculture, natural resources, clean energy production, rural development and nutrition.

Support for rural housing

Coons fought for increased funding for rural housing support, including $900 million for the Rural Housing Insurance Fund/Section 502 direct loans, a USDA program that helps low-income applicants obtain affordable housing in rural areas by providing payment assistance to increase applicants’ repayment ability. Coons also supported $27.5 million for the Mutual and Self-Help Housing Grants Program, another USDA program that provides grants to nonprofit organizations, like Habitat for Humanity, that work with low-income families in rural areas to buy, build and renovate their own affordable homes.

Support for sunscreen innovation

Coons fought for a testing regimen for sunscreen ingredients to clear out the backlog of sunscreen ingredient applications that are stuck at the FDA. Under the requirement, the FDA will work with stakeholders to develop a benefit-risk testing regimen for sunscreen ingredients that appropriately balances the benefit of additional skin cancer prevention tools versus the risk of skin cancer for Americans.

Support for international food aid

While the senator is disappointed to see that programs focused on local and regional procurement for emergency food aid were not funded, he looks forward to working with the committee to identify ways the United States can improve the efficiency of food aid delivery abroad to make sure resources reach as many people as possible.