(NAFB) – The Biden Administration submitted the president’s budget priorities for discretionary spending during the fiscal year 2022.

The funding request advances key USDA priorities like economic development and growth in rural America, supporting American agriculture, aiding in the approach to mitigating climate change, and supporting a strong safety net to address hunger and food insecurity.

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says, “The President’s budget provides the resources to build back better, stronger, and more resilient and equitably than ever before.”

The president’s discretionary request provides an increase of $65 million over the 2021 enacted level for the Rural e-Connectivity Program “Reconnect,” which provides grants and loans to deploy broadband in underserved areas. Biden’s request also provides $4 billion above the 2021 enacted level for USDA’s research, education, and outreach programs. The request also asks for almost $1.7 billion for high-priority hazardous fuels and forest resilience projects to combat the growing threat of wildfires.

The 2022 discretionary request also provides $6.7 billion for critical nutrition programs like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, And Children, or WIC.