Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) announced that an agriculture spending bill which passed the U.S. House of Representatives last night contains funding for programs that will help Northwest farmers and rural communities. As a member of the Agriculture Committee, Larsen pushed to include the funding in the House version of the Agriculture Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2006 (H.R. 2744). The Senate has not yet passed its version of the bill.

“We have unique agriculture needs in Northwest Washington,” Larsen said. “As a member of the Agriculture Committee, I have worked hard to make sure that the federal government is doing its part to meet our unique needs.”

“Funds in the specialty crops competitiveness program will help farmers in our district stay competitive as they grow specialty fruits, vegetables and organic crops,” Larsen said.

“We were also able to include $359,000 for the Washington State University Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources. The center is doing excellent work to help our farmers in the Northwest by creating a comprehensive organic farming research and education program,” Larsen pointed out.

The bill also addressed food safety issues. It provides $23 million for prevention, control and eradication of avian flu and $17 million to address bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease. Larsen was also pleased to see $43 million in the bill for the Agriculture Department to research mad cow disease and $29.5 million for the Food and Drug Administration to conduct mad cow prevention activities.

“This bill will allow us to learn more and do more in order to protect our farmers and our food supply from threats like mad cow disease and bird flu,” Larsen said.

Larsen also praised the inclusion of important funds to help with hunger issues in the U.S. Specifically, the bill included $58.7 billion for Domestic Food Programs ($40.7 billion for the Food Stamp Program; $12.41 billion for Child Nutrition Programs; $5.3 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infants and Children).

“For such an agriculture-rich state, Washington has far too many hungry kids and families,” Larsen said. “Programs in this bill will help feed hungry kids here at home.”

He continued, “I will keep working in Congress and through the Agriculture Committee to support efforts to eradicate hunger in Washington state and the U.S.”