As the U.S. House of Representatives prepared to consider the fiscal year 2015 agricultural appropriations bill, the White House threatened to veto the legislation due to opposition related to funding provisions related to school nutrition programs, potatoes in the Women, Infants and Children program and other policy issues.
This is the first veto threat from the White House for fiscal year 2015 spending bills, according to PorkNetwork.
“The bill undermines key investments in financial oversight, injects political decision-making into science-based nutrition standards, and includes objectionable language riders,” said the official Statement of Administration Policy. “If the President were presented with H.R. 4800, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill.”
The spending bill’s price tag comes in at $142.5 billion, with $20.9 billion of that sum being directed to discretionary spending programs, which is equal to the fiscal year 2014 enacted spending level.
The measure provides funding for agricultural and food programs and services, including food and medical product safety, animal and plant health programs, rural development and farm services, marketplace oversight, and nutrition programs, according to the House Appropriations Committee.