Press Releases

Today, Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24) applauded President Biden for proposing a robust $300 million increase to funding for agricultural research and innovation in his 2024 budget, an investment pushed by Carbajal and a bipartisan group of lawmakers earlier this year.

“After leading this bipartisan push and personally speaking with OMB Director Shalanda Young about this important issue, I am pleased to see President Biden agrees that the United States cannot remain competitive globally without increased emphasis on ensuring that American farms and farm workforces can stay on the cutting edge of their industry,” said Congressman Carbajal. “By proposing a nearly $300 million increase in our agricultural research budget, this administration is taking an important step towards undoing years of underinvestment – as publicly funding for agriculture research has declined by one-third since 2002. I look forward to working with my colleagues that joined this call, and those I serve with on the House Agriculture Committee, to make this proposed investment a reality in our Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations process.”

In February, Congressman Carbajal led a bipartisan group of 27 members of the House of Representatives urging President Biden to prioritize investments in agricultural research in his Fiscal Year 2024 budget. He also highlighted the importance of these investments directly with Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young, who oversees the creation of the White House Budget.

The outline of the budget released today proposed a $299 million increase over the 2023 enacted level for a total of more than $4 billion.

“The People’s Republic of China has become the largest funder of agricultural research and development (R&D) in the world, surpassing the United States and the European Union,” the White House’s budget summary concludes. “The [President’s] Budget restores American innovation in agriculture by providing a total of more than $4 billion… for agricultural research, education, and outreach….In addition, the Budget invests in ensuring innovative products can come to market safely and efficiently.”

In their letter to Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young in February, the lawmakers highlighted a study done by USDA’s Economic Research Service which found that between every $1 of public agriculture R&D spending resulted in $20 in benefits for the US economy over a 20-year period.

As Congress is set to craft the next Farm Bill, the lawmakers also highlighted the importance of supporting the agency created by the 2018 Farm Bill – the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AgARDA) – which has been underfunded by 98% compared to its authorized budget in the last two years.

The letter can be found here.

The letter was signed by Representatives Alma Adams (NC-12), Ami Bera (CA-06), Sanford Bishop (GA-02), Suazanne Bonamici (OR-01), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Yadira Caraveo (CO-08), Andre Carson (IN-07), Jim Costa (CA-21), Sharice Davis (KS-03), Don Davis (NC-01), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Ro Khanna (CA-17), William Keating (MA-09), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Stacey Plaskett (VI-AL), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Elissa Slotkin (MI-07), Eric Sorensen (IL -17), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Bennie Thompson (MI-02), and Mike Thompson (CA-04).