Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made a case for the USDA’s Fiscal Year 2022 discretionary budget on Wednesday, testifying in front of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture. Climate change, addressing systemic racism, nutrition and resiliency in agriculture are four big ideas expressed within the budget proposal. Vilsack said there’s also a plan to address rural broadband. “One of the things we’ll be focusing on is making sure there’s a minimum level of uptick and download speeds to create opportunities for telehealth, for distance learning. We’ve learned the importance of this during the pandemic.” A debate is expected in Congress on the budget proposal and President Biden is expected to release the mandatory budget later this spring. Vilsack also answered questions on FSA worker capacity, estate taxes and nutrition in the hearing.
News Categories
Latest RRFN Podcasts
Subscribe to RRFN
Get a weekly digest from RRFN to stay up-to-date on all the latest news in agriculture.