Congress is set to approve a fiscal 2017 budget agreement this week, while the Trump administration is moving to soften key school nutrition standards.

 

The text of the spending agreement released early Monday didn't appear to include new farm bill funding for which dairy and cotton provisions had been lobbying. Instead, the explanatory statements accompanying the legislation direct the Agriculture Department to report to Congress on the needs of cotton producers and to provide immediate assistance to dairy farms, using USDA's existing authority.

 

The budget deal rejects spending cuts proposed by President Trump in March and instead would provide an overall increase in spending for discretionary spending programs at USDA and the Food and Drug Administration, programs for which the levels are not set by the farm bill and other laws.

 

Congress on Friday approved a one-week extension for government funding to allow time for negotiators to finalize details of a bill that would fund departments and agencies through Sept. 30, the end of fiscal 2017.

 

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