AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1993 HEARINGS BEFORE A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS ONE HUNDRED SECOND CONGRESS SUBCOMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES ROBERT B. FOSTER, TIMOTHY K. Sanders, and Carol NOVAK, Staff Assistants •A628 1992 pt.4 COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS JAMIE L. WHITTEN, Mississippi, Chairman WILLIAM H. NATCHER, Kentucky, Vice Chairman NEAL SMITH, Iowa SIDNEY R. YATES, Illinois EDWARD R. ROYBAL, California TOM BEVILL, Alabama W. G. (BILL) HEFNER, North Carolina LES AUCOIN, Oregon BERNARD J. DWYER, New Jersey STENY H. HOYER, Maryland BOB CARR, Michigan ROBERT J. MRAZEK, New York RICHARD J. DURBIN, Illinois RONALD D. COLEMAN, Texas ALAN B. MOLLOHAN, West Virginia LINDSAY THOMAS, Georgia CHESTER G. ATKINS, Massachusetts JIM CHAPMAN, Texas MARCY KAPTUR, Ohio LAWRENCE J. SMITH, Florida DAVID E. SKAGGS, Colorado DAVID E. PRICE, North Carolina NANCY PELOSI, California PETER J. VISCLOSKY, Indiana JOSEPH M. McDADE, Pennsylvania JIM KOLBE, Arizona DEAN A. GALLO, New Jersey BARBARA F. VUCANOVICH, Nevada JIM LIGHTFOOT, Iowa ว A FREDERICK G. MOHRMAN, Clerk and Staff Director NOTES: The Honorable Silvio O. Conte was Ranking Minority Member of the Committee until his death on The Honorable William H. Gray III resigned from the Committee on September 11, 1991. (11) AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1993 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 1992. AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE WITNESSES HARRY C. MUSSMAN, DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR SCIENCE AND EDUCATION R. DEAN PLOWMAN, ADMINISTRATOR MARY E. CARTER, ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR EDWARD B. KNIPLING, DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR, NATIONAL PROGRAM STAFF JOSEPH R. GARBARINO, BUDGET OFFICER STEPHEN B. DEWHURST, BUDGET OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE OPENING REMARKS Mr. MCHUGH. The subcommittee is now in order and our first order of business this afternoon is a hearing on the Agricultural Research Service. We have with us Dr. Mussman, the acting Assistant Secretary for Science and Education and the Administrator for ARS, Dean Plowman. Dr. Mussman, let's begin with you. Let me say that any formal statements will be included in their entirety in the record. If you would like to summarize both statements, we would be delighted to have the summaries. Mr. TRAXLER. Mr. Chairman, before we begin, I would like to say that we are very fortunate to have a group of Michigan agriculture leaders here who are attending their annual farm bureau meeting. I'm delighted that they could be here for an important aspect of the Department of Agriculture's work, the Agricultural Research Service. I look forward to your testimony, Mr. Assistant Secretary and Dr. Plowman. I thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, for the opportunity to introduce them. Mr. McHUGH. We're delighted to have you here. I must say that you are very well represented by Mr. Traxler on matters related to agriculture. Mr. Assistant Secretary? [The Assistant Secretary's prepared statement appears on pages 137 through 149.] (1) REMARKS OF DR. MUSSMAN Dr. MUSSMAN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It's a pleasure to be here with you today. As always, I appreciate the opportunity to present the budget for research, higher education, and extension programs as well as the National Agricultural Library as part of the USDA's fiscal year 1993 budget. We have been here on a number of occasions in the past and have always enjoyed those experiences. We regret deeply that Chairman Whitten is not able to be with us today. I hope you will convey our best wishes to him for a quick convalescence. With me today are the administrators of the four agencies-Dr. Plowman, Dr. Jordan, Dr. Johnsrud, and I believe for Joe Howard we have Maria Pisa from the National Library-who will be making individual presentations. But before turning to them, Mr. Chairman, I would like to give a short introductory set of comments. SCIENCE AND EDUCATION BUDGET We are talking here of the science and education budget, which totals approximately $1.5 billion, somewhat similar to what we have for the current 1992 fiscal year. We are proposing in addition to our overall operating budget some $27 million for facility improvement projects at five ARS laboratory facilities. For many years, the research-both intramural and extramural-as well as higher education programs that are designed to assure a pool of trained scientists for the longer term, and our extension programs have taken steps to be supportive of the agricultural industry in this country. I think we have done an outstanding job and have been for some time the cornerstone of agriculture in this country. The whole purpose of the science and education agencies is to help farmers and the agriculture sector maintain its profitability, its productivity, while at the same time address the importance of many of the environmental issues we are facing today, as well as other societal concerns which are high on everyone's list of priorities. We find that our budget is being shaped by events and by various issues taking on greater importance. Although our bottom line is still agricultural profitability and productivity, we have had to incorporate a number of issues of environmental and social importance. As the individual administrators make presentations, I'm sure you will see how that is actually taking form. Over the years, we have found this subcommittee to be a very strong and dependable partner in providing important support to the agriculture industry. We would like to see that partnership continue. We would urge that you give very strong support to the various increases that are being proposed for fiscal year 1993. PROPOSED INCREASES As we appear before you today, we will be proposing several specific increases, one of which is for the National Research Initiative. The National Research Initiative is significant, something in the amount of $53 million over the current level of funding for fiscal |