2025: Fitzpatrick Voted To Combat The Rapid Ohi'a Death Disease
Impacting Ohi'a Trees In Hawaii. In January 2025, Fitzpatrick voted
for , according to Congressional Quarterly, "the bill that would require
the Interior Department to partner and collaborate with the Agriculture
Department and the state of Hawaii to address and support sustained
efforts to combat the "Rapid Ohi'a Death" fungal disease affecting
the state's Ohi'a tree population. The Interior Department also would
be required to continue collaborative research on disease vectors and
transmission, and to partner with federal, state and local stakeholders
to manage certain large animals in ROD control areas. The Agriculture
Department would be required to provide financial and staff support to
prevent the spread of the disease." The House passed the bill by a vote
of 359 to 62. [House Vote 24,
1/23/25; Congressional
Quarterly, 1/23/25;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
375]
2022: Fitzpatrick Voted Against Authorizing Up To $57.8 Billion For
Farm Loans. In July 2022, according to Congressional Quarterly,
Fitzpatrick voted against the Transportation, Housing and Urban
Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2023, which would
"authorize up to $57.8 billion for farm loans." The vote was on
passage. The House passed the bill by a vote 220-207, thus the bill was
sent to the Senate. The Senate did not take substantive action on the
legislation. Congress passed and signed into law the FY 2023 Budget
through H.R. 2617. The Senate did not take substantive action on the
legislation. Congress passed and signed into law the FY 2023 Budget
through H.R. 2617. [House Vote 383,
7/20/22; Congressional
Quarterly, 7/20/22;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
8294]
2022: Fitzpatrick Voted For The FY 2023 Omnibus Spending Package,
Which Provided $25.5 Billion For The Department Of Agriculture And
Related Agencies. In December 2022, according to Congressional
Quarterly, Fitzpatrick voted to concur with the Senate amendment to the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, which would "provide
approximately $25.5 billion for the Agriculture Department and related
agencies; $82.4 billion for the Commerce and Justice departments and
science and related agencies; $797.7 billion for the Defense
Department; $54 billion for the Energy Department and federal water
projects; $27.6 billion for the Treasury Department, federal judiciary
and a number of executive agencies; $60.7 billion for the Homeland
Security Department; $38.9 billion for the Interior Department, EPA and
related agencies; $207.4 billion for the Labor, Health and Human
Services and Education departments and related agencies; $6.9 billion
for legislative branch entities; $154.2 billion for the Veterans
Affairs Department, military construction, and related agencies; $59.7
billion for the State Department and related agencies; and $87.3
billion for the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development
departments and related agencies." The vote was on a motion to concur.
The House concurred with the Senate amendment by a vote of 225-201, thus
bill was sent to President Biden and ultimately became law. [House Vote
549, 12/23/22;
Congressional Quarterly,
12/23/22; Congressional
Actions, S.Amdt.
6552;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
2617]
Starting In The Summer Of 2024, The FY 2023 Omnibus Would Create A
Nationwide Summer EBT Program, Which Would Provide Eligible Children
Free Or Reduced-Price School Meals With A $40 Grocery Benefit Per
Eligible Child Every Month. According to CNN, "The legislation
establishes a permanent nationwide Summer EBT program, starting in
the summer of 2024, according to Share Our Strength, an anti-hunger
advocacy group. It will provide families whose children are eligible
for free or reduced-price school meals with a $40 grocery benefit
per child per month, indexed to inflation." [CNN,
12/29/22]
The FY 2023 Omnibus Allowed Children To Take Home Or Have Their
Summer Meals Delivered Instead Of Requiring Their Consumption At A
Certain Time Or Site. According to CNN, "It also changes the rules
governing summer meals programs in rural areas. Children will be
able to take home or receive delivery of up to 10 days' worth of
meals, rather than have to consume the food at a specific site and
time." [CNN,
12/29/22]
In Order To Address "SNAP Skimming," The FY 2023 Omnibus Allowed
Families To Seek Retroactive Federal Reimbursement For Food Stamp
Benefits That Were Stolen. According to CNN, "The law also helps
families who have had their food stamp benefits stolen since October
1 through what's known as 'SNAP skimming.' It provides them with
retroactive federal reimbursement of the funds, which criminals
steal by attaching devices to point-of-sale machines or PIN pads to
get card numbers and other information from electronic benefits
transfer cards." [CNN,
12/29/22]
The FY 2023 Omnibus Included The Sustain Act, Which Would Allow
The Department Of Agriculture To "Make More Use Of Private
Contributions For Conservation Programs." According to E&E News,
"Thompson also secured inclusion of a bill into the omnibus he'd
introduced in 2021. It would enable USDA to make more use of private
contributions for conservation programs. The bill passed the
Agriculture Committee earlier this year (E&E Daily, Sept 23). That
measure, the 'Sustains Act,' H.R. 2606, got a few tweaks before
inclusion into the package, aides said. Mainly, the changes would
resolve technical questions raised by USDA, they said." [E&E News,
12/20/22]
2022: Fitzpatrick Voted Against Appropriating $198.6 Billion To The
Agriculture Department For FY 2023, Including $111 Billion For SNAP,
$29.9 Billion For Farm Support And Conversation Programs, $28.6
Billion For School Nutrition Programs, And $4.2 Billion For Rural
Development Activities. In July 2022, according to Congressional
Quarterly, Fitzpatrick voted against the Transportation, Housing and
Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2023, which
would "provide $198.6 billion in mandatory and discretionary funding
for the Agriculture Department and federal food programs, including
$111 billion for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, $29.9
billion for farm support and conservation programs, $28.6 billion for
school nutrition programs and $4.2 billion for rural development
activities." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a
vote 220-207, thus the bill was sent to the Senate. The Senate did not
take substantive action on the legislation. Congress passed and signed
into law the FY 2023 Budget through H.R. 2617. [House Vote 383,
7/20/22; Congressional
Quarterly, 7/20/22;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
8294]
2021: Fitzpatrick Voted Against The American Rescue Plan Act Of 2021,
Which Provided The Agriculture Department With $4 Billion In
Pandemic-Related Assistance. In March 2021, Fitzpatrick voted against
concurring in the Senate amendment to the American Rescue Plan Act of
2021 which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "provide $4
billion for Agriculture Department pandemic-related assistance." The
vote was on concurring in the Senate amendment to the bill. The House
concurred with the Senate by a vote of 220-211 and sent to the President
and ultimately the bill became law. [House Vote 72,
3/10/21; Congressional
Quarterly, 3/10/21;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
1319]
The American Rescue Plan Provided $4 Billion For Debt Relief,
Grants, Training, And Land Assistance To Socially-Disadvantaged
Farmers, Which 25% Are Black Farmers. According to the Center For
Health Law And Policy Innovation, "One of the most notable
provisions is that $4 billion will go towards providing debt
relief, grants, training, and other forms of land assistance to
socially-disadvantaged farmers, a quarter of whom are Black."
[Center For Health Law And Policy Innovation,
4/7/21]
Advocates Claimed The American Rescue Plan Was The Most Important
Legislation Regarding "Black Land Ownership" Due To Black Farmers
Having "Lost More Than 12 Million Acres Of Farmland, Mainly Since
The 1950s." According to the Center For Health Law And Policy
Innovation, "A socially disadvantaged farmer is one who has been
subjected to racial or ethnic prejudices because of their identity
as a member of a group without regard to their individual
qualities.[14] Due to systemic racism and discrimination in
regards to credit and loans, Black farmers have lost more than 12
million acres of farmland, mainly since the 1950s.[15] Some are
touting this as the most significant piece of legislation for black
land ownership in the country." [Center For Health Law And Policy
Innovation,
4/7/21]
The American Rescue Plan Provided An Additional $1 Billion For
Land Grant Institutions And Groups That Provide Support To Farmers
Of Color. According to the Center For Health Law And Policy
Innovation, "An additional $1 billion will be directed towards land
grant institutions and other organizations that give assistance to
farmers of color." [Center For Health Law And Policy Innovation,
4/7/21]
The American Rescue Plan Provided $3.6 Billion To Support Food
Supply Chains That Were Affected By The Pandemic. According to the
Center For Health Law And Policy Innovation, "The USDA will be
provided $3.6 billion to go towards supporting food supply chains
that have been impacted by the pandemic, with language similar to
that included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act that went to
support ongoing operations of the Farmers to Families Food Box
program." [Center For Health Law And Policy Innovation,
4/7/21]
The American Rescue Plan Reserved $300 Million For Monitoring
COVID Infections In Animals And $100 Million To Decrease Fees
Related To "Federal Inspections Of Small Meat, Poultry, And Egg
Processing Facilitates." According to the Center For Health Law
And Policy Innovation, "Other agricultural and food chain assistance
include $300 million for monitoring efforts of SARS-CoV-2 in
animals and $100 million to reduce fees associated with federal
inspections of small meat, poultry, and egg processing facilities."
[Center For Health Law And Policy Innovation,
4/7/21]
2019: Fitzpatrick Voted For The FY 2020 Minibus Appropriations Bill,
Which Provided $154 Billion In Discretionary Funding For The USDA And
FDA And Cut Funding For Crop Insurance By 35% From FY 2019. In
December 2019, Fitzpatrick voted for the FY 2020 minibus spending bill,
which represented 8 of the 12 appropriations bills. According to
Congressional Quarterly, the bill "provides $154 billion for the
Agriculture Department (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
and other covered agencies --- $1.3 billion (1$) more than comparable
FY 2019 funding [...] The bill provides the requested $26.3 billion
in mandatory funding (18% more than FY 2019) to reimburse the CCC for
expenditures previously incurred by the CCC to finance farm price
supports, export promotion, disposition of surplus commodities and other
programs. Similarly, it provides the requested $10 billion for crop
insurance, 35% less than FY 2019. It includes $1.1 billion for the Farm
Service Agency (4% more than FY 2019), and would support $8.4 billion
in loans to farmers through the Agricultural Credit Insurance Fund. It
appropriates $187 million (18% more than FY 2019) for USDA marketing
programs, $3.2 billion to support the Agriculture Research Service (5%
less than FY 2019), $1.0 billion for the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (3% more), and $1.1 billion for food safety
inspections (slightly more than FY 2019 levels). It also includes $1.0
billion for various USDA conservation and watershed rehabilitation
programs, a 3.6% increase from FY 2019." The vote was a motion to concur
in the Senate amendment. The House agreed to the motion by a vote of
297-120. The Senate later passed the bill and the President signed the
bill into law. [House Vote 689,
12/17/19; Congressional
Quarterly, 12/17/19;
Congressional Actions,
H.R.1865]