Sanford Bishop: “I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the omnibus appropriations bill. As the ranking…”

“I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the omnibus appropriations bill. As the ranking member on the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, I would like to take a few moments to highlight a few areas in the bill's agriculture section. This has been a long time coming, beginning with a markup over 1 year ago in April 2016. Since then, many things have changed, but what has remained constant is the desire of the House Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee to address the needs of rural America by adequately funding programs that serve them and the country. While the total funding level is below 2016 and the House-reported bill, I believe we used what we had wisely. For example, we secured increased funding for agriculture research, food and plant health programs, the Farm Service Agency, and for rural development. The bill also expands telemedicine, broadband access, and STEM distance learning, as well as provides $400 million in Community Development Block Grant funding for disaster assistance.…”