University laboratories working on commodity-specific research and other agricultural issues in developing countries were protected from rescissions in a $9 billion package of spending cuts narrowly approved by Congress on party-line votes.
The House approved the Senate-modified package, 216-213, about midnight after the measure passed the Senate early Thursday, 51-48.
The Senate changes also protected the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), a system developed by the U.S. Agency for International Development in the 1980s to monitor food insecurity crises, according to the North American Millers' Association.
The Feed the Future innovation labs, which had been funded by USAID, are “a network of U.S. research institutions who partner with developing-country partners to innovate in crop science, livestock systems, and post-harvest management,” according to a summary of an amendment sponsored by Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., to spare the labs from cuts.
There are at least 17 labs at 13 institutions, though other estimates place the number at 21. The labs include one focused on soybeans at the University of Illinois, one researching peanuts at the University of Georgia, and labs examining legumes, integrated pest management and horticulture.
Funding for the labs was cut off in February by the Trump administration, but researchers had been advocating for continued support. They, along with other backers, argued that though the labs focus on issues in underdeveloped nations, their research also benefits U.S. farmers.
In May, officials at the Climate Resilient Cereals Innovation Lab at Kansas State were told it could continue its work.
While the summary from Schmitt’s office says the labs will be “insulated from rescission,” the “question then is what it will imply, practically, for the labs,” said David Tschirley, a professor at Michigan State who has led the Food Security Policy Research, Policy and Influence lab there.
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When funding was cut off, the labs had to lay off staff. Asked whether the labs will be able to simply "pick up where they left off," Tschirley said, "If the question is, can the labs organize and figure out how to put the money to productive use, for our partners overseas and for the American people, the answer is yes. But exactly what that will look like is far from certain.
"Certainly we will not 'pick up where we left off.' It will be a mixed bag depending on many factors, including really if and how and when we get access again to the money, the status of the labs’ work when it was paused, etc. But the community of labs remains engaged with each other on a weekly basis and we will jump on this."
The White House has never released details of what projects would be affected by the cuts, but they likely conclude some other food security work included in a rescission of $2.5 billion in "development assistance."
A social media post by the Office of Management and Budget suggested the cuts targeted a project developing an insect-based food product for hungry children in Madagascar. Climate resilience projects also would get the ax.
However, the Senate amendment did include language intended to protect distribution of food aid through the Food for Peace and McGovern-Dole school feeding program.
The White House endorsed the Senate-modified measure.
"Last night, Senate Republicans passed President Trump's $9 billion rescissions package," spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said. "This will help restore fiscal sanity in our country by rescinding billions in wasteful foreign aid and finally ending taxpayer funding for PBS and NPR, two media organizations that have ridiculously used federal dollars to push a partisan agenda for many years. The House should pass this rescissions package immediately and send it to the President's desk for signature."
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