Information about the vote from special interest groups and other information providers in our Report Cards:
Concord Coalition
Eliminate Funding for Market Access Program.
Rep. Royce (R-CA) offered an amendment to an agriculture appropriations bill that would prohibit using funds for the Department of Agriculture's Market Access Program. The Market Access Program is a program which provides grants to businesses and trade associations to promote agricultural exports.
This group has long believed that the program is a prime example of corporate "pork," an unnecessary federal subsidy to a profitable industry. The vote was on accepting the Royce amendment. The amendment was rejected.
Taxpayers for Common Sense Action
Eliminate Market Access Program.
The Department of Agriculture’s Market Access Program (MAP) subsidizes market promotion efforts for U.S. agricultural products overseas. This program provides tax dollars to corporate trade associations that advertise private products. Although proponents claim that the program boosts exports and creates jobs, the General Accounting Office (GAO) has stated that it has no discernible effect on agricultural exports.
Rep. Edward Royce (R-CA) offered an amendment to the fiscal year 2002 agriculture spending bill (H.R. 2330) to provide that none of the funds in the bill may be used to award any new allocations under MAP or to pay the salaries of personnel that award such allocations, which would effectively eliminate the program.
The House rejected the Royce amendment.
Citizens Against Government Waste
H.R. 2330: Fiscal 2002 Agriculture Appropriations - Market Access Program.
The House rejected the amendment offered by Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.) to eliminate the market access program.