The Senate Appropriations Committee last week approved the 2017 spending bill for USDA and the Food and Drug Administration. Pro Farmer’s First Thing Today reports the committee approved the $21.25 billion spending bill by a vote of 30-0. The total represents a decline of $250 million compared to the 2016 enacted level. House appropriators sent their $21.3 billion agriculture bill to the full chamber April 19th. The measure includes an important pilot amendment that farmers and lawmakers have pushed for regarding the Ag Risk Coverage program. The amendment would create a $5 million nationwide pilot program to improve the fairness of ARC county-level payment calculations for the 2016 crop year for times when NASS county data for determining yields is insufficient.