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October 21, 2011
On October 18, the Senate began debate on the fiscal year (FY) 2012 agriculture appropriations bill. The bill would reduce funding for conservation programs by more than $700 million and would cut funding for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) in half. It would sustain funding, however, for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP).
H.R. 2112 , the appropriations bill passed by the House earlier this year, would reduce conservation programs by about $1 billion below FY2011 levels, cut funding for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) by $72.7 million (-97 percent) , and eliminate all funding for BCAP (-$112 million).
The Senate version would cut a little less from conservation programs (-$726 million or -12 percent, compared to FY11 spending levels), cut less from REAP (-$36.5 million or -49 percent), but would sustain current funding levels for BCAP, according to the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition .
On bioenergy related matters, during floor debate this week, Sen. McCain (R-AZ) reportedly planned to introduce, but then withdrew, an amendment to bar all funding to subsidize the installation of ethanol blender pumps and storage tanks. Sen. Coburn (R-OK) introduced an amendment to eliminate all funding for the REAP program, claiming mistakenly that it is a biofuels program.