R48431 — Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2025 Appropriations

The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (Agriculture appropriations) funds the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), except for the U.S. Forest Service, as well as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA, in the Department of Health and Human Services). It also funds the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in even-numbered fiscal years, and House Agriculture appropriations bills mark up CFTC funding each year. Agriculture appropriations acts include both discretionary and mandatory funding, which differentiates Agriculture appropriations from some other appropriations acts. Congressional debate on appropriations is primarily about discretionary spending. Appropriations for mandatory spending programs, although not usually debated, are necessary to technically make funds available for those programs (e.g., entitlement programs, such as farm safety net and nutrition assistance programs, that were previously enacted under separate budget enforcement procedures). This report focuses mostly on discretionary appropriations. The primary discretionary spending accounts are for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); agricultural research; rural development loans and grants; the FDA; foreign food assistance and trade promotion; farm agency salaries and loans; food safety inspection; animal and plant health programs; and conservation program technical assistance. For the FY2025 appropriations process, the House Committee on Appropriations reported its bill (H.R. 9027, H.Rept. 118-583) on July 10, 2024, following subcommittee markup on June 11. The Senate Committee on Appropriations reported its bill (S. 4690, S.Rept. 118-193) on July 11, 2024. Neither chamber considered these bills on the floor. FY2025 began under two continuing resolutions (CRs) (P.L. 118-83 and P.L. 118-158). A year-long CR (P.L. 119-4) was enacted on March 15, 2025. The year-long CR for FY2025 basically continues FY2024 funding levels without using the House and Senate bills for FY2025. It provides $26.6 billion in discretionary Agriculture appropriations, an increase of $420 million over FY2024 (+1.6%) due to anomalies for a few accounts. The year-long CR provides additional funding for two domestic nutrition assistance programs and does not provide funding in FY2025 for FY2024 earmarks. The agriculture portion of the FY2025 CR includes appropriations for the CFTC, despite being an odd-numbered fiscal year, since the FY2024 Agriculture appropriation carried the CFTC. The nominal total of Agriculture appropriations has been generally increasing since FY2017. On an inflation-adjusted basis, Agriculture appropriations have been decreasing since FY2018. Discretionary Agriculture Appropriations, FY2015-FY2025 / Source: Figure created by CRS using annual appropriations acts and reports and Congressional Budget Office tables. Notes: Excludes the CFTC on the basis of Senate Appropriations Committee Agriculture Subcommittee jurisdiction and supplemental appropriations acts. Adjusted for inflation using the Gross Domestic Product price index.

Curated by CRS — every bill listed in this report's relatedMaterials. Edge type cited_in_report, gold confidence.

• HR 1968 — Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 · 119th Cong
• HR 9027 — Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Ac · 118th Cong
• S 4928 — Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2025 · 118th Cong
• S 4690 — Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Ac · 118th Cong
• HR 4368 — Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Ac · 118th Cong
• HR 4366 — Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 · 118th Cong
• S 2131 — Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Ac · 118th Cong