The Biden administration submitted to Congress on Friday the President’s priorities for fiscal year 2022 discretionary spending including $27.8 billion for USDA, a $3.8 billion, or 16% increase from the 2021 enacted level. In a statement, USDA says the funding request advances key agency priorities, including economic development and growth in rural America, maintaining support for American agriculture, rebuilding scientific expertise in our agencies, aiding in an all-of-government approach to mitigate and adapt to climate change, and supporting a strong safety net to address hunger and nutrition insecurity. “The President’s budget provides the resources to build back better, stronger, and more resilient and equitably than ever before,” says Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “This is our moment to solve big challenges by acting boldly—to close the broadband gap facing rural America; to work with farmers, ranchers and producers to transform our nation’s food system and build new markets here and abroad; to protect and manage our nation’s forests and grasslands from catastrophic wildfires; and to ensure Americans have access to healthy and nutritious food. The President’s budget commits to building back better and USDA is at heart of that historic commitment.”