Secretary Vilsack testifies before the House Appropriations Cmte. on the President's 2013 budget request for his department. The request provides $23 billion in funding, which is a nearly 3% decrease from 2012.

It includes $6.1 billion in funding for renewable and clean energy and environmental improvements and $700 million in administrative and other cuts.

The request outlines a plan to reduce the deficit by $32 billion over 10 years by cutting direct farm payments, decreasing subsidies to crop insurance companies and better targeting conservation funding.