Agriculture appropriations bill in jeopardy amid GOP divisions

Plans to move an appropriations bill funding agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to the House floor were brought to a halt amid internal GOP division over whether to further slash spending and a provision related to abortion.

The House Rules Committee — the last stop before a bill hits the House floor — had started consideration of the bill Wednesday. But as hard-line conservatives continue to negotiate with GOP leaders on spending cut demands, the committee is not expected to return to consider the bill Wednesday evening, according to Rules Committee aides.

The bill was also not listed on Thursday’s schedule, which was released Wednesday night by the office of Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.).

One House Republican told The Hill that they do not expect the bill to come to the floor at all this week as scheduled, punting its consideration until when the House returns in mid-September.

“We’re not bringing the bill up. We’re not gonna be here Friday to vote on the [agriculture appropriations],” said the GOP lawmaker, who requested anonymity to discuss the internal deliberations.

A main point of contention on the measure is a provision that would nullify a Biden administration rule allowing the abortion pill mifepristone to be sold in retail pharmacies and by mail with prescriptions from a certified health care provider.

Moderate Republicans have been vocal in their opposition to the provision, warning that they will not support the bill unless it is stripped. That posture spells trouble for Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.): With all Democrats expected to vote against the legislation, he can only afford to lose a handful of Republicans and still clear the measure.

“I have said from the very beginning that I would not support legislation that would ban abortion nationwide,” Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) told reporters Wednesday morning. “And to me, some of these issues that are being dealt with should be dealt with at the state level, and that’s it. Some states allow it to be mailed, some states don’t. But that should be a decision with the states and the FDA.”

But the GOP lawmaker suggested those who object to the mifepristone measure are in no hurry to take it out because it gives them a reason to “delay the whole damn thing” amid disagreement with the Freedom Caucus members and other conservatives pushing for cuts.

“There’s a reason that we don’t want it stripped,” the lawmaker said. “We don’t really like the rest of the bill. Leave it in and delay the whole damn thing.”

The delay in moving the funding bill to the floor comes as House GOP leaders secured one procedural victory on their first appropriations bill to come to the floor earlier in the day, when a military construction and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) funding bill cleared a procedural rule despite conservative Republican pushback on the process for appropriations bills as a whole.

But unlike that bill, which increased VA funding, conservatives are seeking to make further cuts in the agriculture and FDA bill — something other lawmakers do not want.

“Freedom Caucus wants deeper cuts, we can’t possibly accept that,” the GOP lawmaker told The Hill.

Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.), a key negotiator in discussions with conservatives and GOP leadership, indicated that the agriculture appropriations bill might not come to the floor this week.

“It’ll go to the floor when it’s ready. And whether that’s this week or not, I don’t think anybody is ready to make that call yet,” Graves said.

Conservatives for weeks have demanded further overall spending cuts to spending bills passed out of the House Appropriations Committee, and have also asked to see the final version of all 12 regular House appropriations bills before the chamber passes any of them.

The Senate has advanced spending bills with higher levels — in line with the debt limit agreement made by President Biden and McCarthy — setting up a clash when lawmakers return in the fall to resolve those differences that increases the chances of a government shutdown.

Aris Folley contributed.