This week, the White House released its recommended Fiscal Year 2020 budget. The non-binding document suggested $8.9 billion in cuts to USDA’s conservation programs and a $28 billion reduction in crop insurance.
As with all President’s budgets, the document is considered “dead on arrival” on Capitol Hill. Asked about its actual impact, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kansas) bluntly observed “How many times have we seen a President’s budget come over the transom and my staff says ‘Oh my God.” Then we pick it up, throw it back over the transom and write our own budget.”
The full text of the USDA portion of the budget and supporting documents can be found here.