Harshbarger Supports FY27 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration Appropriations Act

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) voted in support of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027 , a fiscally responsible bill that reins in wasteful spending, restores focus to USDA's core mission, and advances commonsense priorities that strengthen American agriculture and protect taxpayers.

The legislation also supports the Food and Drug Administration's core public health mission while prioritizing policies that encourage domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign countries for critical medicines and active pharmaceutical ingredients.

"American farmers feed the world, and this bill makes sure Washington is working to keep it that way. It makes real investments in our agricultural communities, cracks down on foreign adversaries seeking to purchase American farmland, and helps put food and drug safety back in American hands," said Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger. "As a pharmacist, I also appreciate that this legislation supports efforts to strengthen domestic manufacturing of critical medicines and medical ingredients to reduce our reliance on foreign supply chains for essential healthcare products. Just as importantly, it eliminates wasteful Biden-era programs and ensures taxpayer dollars are spent where they can make the greatest difference. I'm proud to support legislation that puts American agriculture, food security, rural communities, and American-made medicines first."

Key provisions include:

• Funds the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including expanded state and local inspection efforts to safeguard the food and drug supply and support Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) priorities. The bill also increases inspections of foreign drug manufacturing facilities in China and India.
• Directs FDA to apply the same establishment registration and product listing requirements to foreign manufacturers as domestic manufacturers-closing critical regulatory gaps, enhancing supply chain transparency, and strengthening FDA enforcement tools.
• Increases oversight of foreign drug manufacturing facilities and overseas supply chains, particularly for active pharmaceutical ingredients and finished generic drugs imported into the United States.
• Supports FDA regulatory and inspection infrastructure-including risk-based inspections, pharmaceutical quality monitoring, data integrity enforcement, and resilience of domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity-to identify contaminated, adulterated, counterfeit, or substandard drugs before they reach American patients.
• Encourages FDA to appoint qualified voting members with actual and diverse experience in the preparation, prescribing, and use of compounded medications to the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee-ensuring the committee that advises FDA on drug compounding issues is guided by those with real-world compounding expertise.
• Protects American farmland from foreign adversaries by strengthening oversight of foreign land ownership, improving tracking systems, and adding the Secretary of Agriculture to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) for reviews involving China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.
• Funds American land-grant universities and research first, and directs USDA to provide transparency into research funding involving foreign governments, including China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.
• Increases funding for Child Nutrition programs like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and Summer Food Programs.
• Provides robust funding for the Agricultural Research Service and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to protect American farms from foreign pests and diseases like the New World Screwworm.
• Increases funding for the Food Safety and Inspection Service to fund frontline meat and poultry inspectors and bolster state inspection programs.
• Prioritizes rural homeownership and infrastructure lending through Rural Development programs and maintains funding for the ReConnect rural broadband program to expand high-speed internet access.
• Eliminates wasteful funding for the Biden-era climate hubs and Climate Corps.

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