#3

...not quick meaning "right this minute"!  Just to clarify.

 Thanks!

Beginning Farm provisions would have been funded in the Senate by Dorgan-Grassley, but since it did not pass, they remain unfunded. They were funded to the tune of $15 million per year in mandatory funding in the House bill. Mandatory funding means you don't have to fight for it every year in the budget process; it is automatically appropriated.

The Microenterprise program was included in the House bill but did not receive any mandatory funding. The Senate bill provides $5 million per year for the last 4 years of the 5 year farm bill (they assume it will take one year to write the rules and regulations for the program).  Dorga-Grassley would have provided another $10 million a year for those 4 years in mandatory money.  

So the conference committee will have to resolve those differences. Both programs have more money "authorized", which the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee would have to approve each year during the budget process. That is highly unlikely given the tight budget situation, but we will be fighting for it.

The mandatory money is also absolutely key when funding ongoing programs, especially new programs. Being able to count on 4 or 5 years of dependable funding means you can plan for the ongoing existence of the program, rather than wondering if the program's budget is going to be dramatically cut or eliminated next year.