Pete Domenici: “Mr. President, the final budget resolution contains an unusual reconciliation instruction to the Agriculture Committee.…”

“Mr. President, the final budget resolution contains an unusual reconciliation instruction to the Agriculture Committee. Unlike the other committee reconciliation instructions, it calls for an increase in direct spending of $1.5 billion over 5 years. This instruction is designed to fulfill the bipartisan budget agreement between the President, the Speaker of the House, the Senate majority leader and the Senate minority leader. These parties agreed to add $1.5 billion in new spending for the Food Stamp Program for increased work slots and expanded waiver authority in the jurisdiction of the Agriculture Committee. The specific details of the bipartisan budget agreement can be found on page 89 of the committee print that accompanies Senate Concurrent Resolution 27.”