Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies

The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee is a specialized division of the House Committee on Appropriations. As a subcommittee, it handles the initial review and preparation of appropriations legislation before the full committee considers bills for floor votes. This subcommittee exists because the Appropriations Committee divides its work among 12 matching subcommittees, each responsible for one of the twelve annual regular appropriations bills that fund the federal government.

The subcommittee's jurisdiction covers a broad swath of domestic policy affecting Americans daily. It controls discretionary funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (except the Forest Service), the Food and Drug Administration, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the Farm Credit Administration. This includes farm programs, disaster assistance, crop insurance, rural development infrastructure like broadband and water systems, food safety oversight, and nutrition assistance programs. For fiscal year 2026, the subcommittee received a discretionary allocation of $25.5 billion.

The subcommittee is chaired by Representative Andy Harris (R-MD), with Ranking Member Sanford D. Bishop (D-GA) leading the Democratic members. The 15-member panel conducts hearings on agency budgets and performance, reviews proposed appropriations bills, and prepares legislation for full committee consideration. Recent activity includes hearings on USDA budget priorities, food distribution shortages in tribal and elderly communities, and oversight of agency spending and fraud prevention. The subcommittee's work directly shapes federal support for American farmers, rural communities, food security, and public health.