Spending Bills Advance; House Adds Sanctions Bar

May 5, 2000

Both House and Senate subcommittees approved 2001 spending bills for the Agriculture Department yesterday, and the House panel voted to relax sanctions against Cuba and four other countries. Lawmakers who support the amendment by Rep. George Nethercutt (R-WA) say allowing the sale of food and medicines will give hard-pressed U.S. farmers additional markets.

A similar sanctions amendment last year was added to the Senate spending bill but ultimately dropped in conference, leading to hard feelings among Republicans who resented pressure from their leadership to oppose ending sanctions. The fate of this year’s version is unclear, especially with the emotional Elian Gonzalez debate.

The twin spending bills – the Senate bill contains about half a billion dollars more than its House counterpart – now go before the full appropriations committees of both chambers. That action is expected on Tuesday in the Senate and Wednesday in the House, reflecting Republican determination to move spending measures quickly this year.

The Senate bill’s total spending level is $75.7 billion, about $1 billion less than President Clinton had requested, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL reports. Included in the bill are $3.1 billion for guaranteed loans for farmers and $60.4 million more than fiscal 2000 for farm research and extension programs. The bill provides $867.6 million for various conservation programs, $63.4 million more than fiscal 2000. Funding for the Food and Drug Administration is $1.1 billion, $30 million more than 2000 with a $24 million increase for FDA food safety initiatives.