The Senate on Monday passed their version of a five-year, $500 billion farm bill by a 66-27 vote. The Senate voted on 15 of the 250 amendments filed on the bill, nine of which limit crop insurance subsidies to wealthy farmers. Most of the package is made up of food stamps, rural economic development programs, and international food aid. The bill would reduce overall spending by about $24 billion over 10 years, compared to about $38 billion during the same period in a House measure, mainly by consolidating conservation programs, reducing the food stamp program, and cutting farm subsidies of $17 billion. Debate was cut short due to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-NV) desire to keep the Senate moving forward to debate on immigration reform.
To encourage farm bill support in the House, the National Chicken Council joined a House Farm Bill Coalition, including 193 food and agriculture organizations, in a letter applauding the House Committee on Agriculture for their efforts to advance the bill. The letter was sent to each individual House office in effort to encourage support of the bill from members on both sides of the aisle.
The coalition’s letter outlined the importance of the farm bill’s passage in promoting an economically healthy U.S. agriculture sector, reducing the federal deficit and improving our balance of trade through trade promotion programs, among other areas.
“We stand united in our strong support for a new five-year bill and commend the House Committee on Agriculture for advancing a bill for timely action by the full House,” the coalition wrote. “Failure to pass a five-year farm bill before the end of September would mean continued uncertainty for farmers, ranchers and their rural communities; it would also mean that American taxpayer would see none of the budget savings achieved.”
Debate on the the House version of the farm bill has not been officially set but is likely June 19 and June 20, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) said. “If you look at the calendar, the way things work, you will probably have to have some kind of date on Monday, June 17 for amendments to be offered to the Rules Committee. On Tuesday, you’d have a rule open, and probably Wednesday and Thursday would actually be the bill. That’s my guess,” Lucas said.
House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) this week expressed his support for the bill and said he expects a majority of Republicans to vote for the bill.
Last year, the Senate also passed its version of the farm bill by a wide majority, but it failed to come up for a vote in the House. Congress instead voted to extend the 2008 farm law until September 30, 2013.
