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Government Relations & Washington Update

December 2021

Senate Agriculture Committee Holds Hearing for Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young
On November 17th, the Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing to consider two of President Biden’s nominees for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).  The committee heard testimony from Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, nominated for Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics, and Margo Schlanger for Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights.  Dr. Jacobs-Young has close to 20 years of experience at USDA, including serving as Acting Chief Scientist and Acting Deputy Under Secretary.  She currently serves as Administrator of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS).  As Under Secretary for REE, Dr. Jacobs-Young would be responsible for leading the Mission Area including ARS, the Economic Research Service (ERS), National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA).  AAEA joined a letter coordinated by the National Coalition for Food and Agriculture Research (NCFAR) urging support for Dr. Jacobs-Young’s confirmation.  She is expected to have broad bipartisan support once her nomination comes to a vote in the Senate.

View the Senate Hearing HERE.

House Passes Build Back Better Package
On November 19th, after much controversy and debate, the House of Representatives voted on President Biden’s Build Back Better package of federal investments.  The House narrowly passed the legislation by a party-line vote of 220 to 212.  The package would invest approximately $1.75 trillion in a wide range of federal programs, including approximately $2 billion for agricultural research.  Agricultural research investments include $1 billion for research infrastructure at minority service institutions and approximately $1 billion across a variety of REE programs and agencies to support research, extension and education related to climate change.

The text of the Build Back Better Act can be found HERE.