Norman D. Dicks: “The appropriations bill we will consider today includes within it three bills: Agriculture; Commerce-Justice-Science…”

“The appropriations bill we will consider today includes within it three bills: Agriculture; Commerce-Justice-Science; and Transportation- HUD, along with a clean continuing resolution covering the remaining nine bills. The CR prevents a government shutdown. It is a simple date change to December 16. No anomalies are added; everything but the date is carried forward from the last CR. The agreement provides disaster relief of $2.3 billion, including the full amount needed to address the backlog of eligible disaster repairs for highways, roads, and bridges, and funds to address agricultural disasters. The conference report also drops controversial riders on Dodd-Frank financial reform, women's health, and climate change. The minibus restores funding that was cut in the initial House bill to nutrition and food safety programs. The conference agreement provides $6.6 billion for the Women, Infants, and Children program, WIC, an increase of $570 million over the level in the House-passed bill and $36 million above the Senate level. At this level, WIC can provide for the estimated 700,000 women, children, and infants that would have been turned away under the previous bill. The impact of food prices will still need to be monitored to ensure the program has sufficient funding.…”