Farm bill advances from U.S. House panel but faces a tough row to hoe

Allison Winter, Idaho Capital Sun

WASHINGTON (Idaho Capital Sun) — Republicans moved their long-awaited caller workplace measure done nan U.S. House Agriculture Committee this week, contempt guidance from astir Democrats that could stall further advancement of nan bill.

The monolithic $1.5 trillion authorities would group argumentation and backing levels for cardinal food, agriculture and conservation programs for nan adjacent 5 years. After a marathon markup Thursday, nan GOP-authored measure cleared nan committee aft midnight Friday, 33-21, pinch 4 Democratic votes.

The committee’s measure would summation workplace “safety net” payments for immoderate commodity crops, grow eligibility for disaster assistance and summation backing for specialty crops, integrated farmers and dairy farmers.

It is expected to costs $1.5 trillion complete 10 years. A title-by-title summary of nan 942-page bill tin beryllium recovered online.

Democrats Don Davis of North Carolina, Sanford Bishop of Georgia, Yadira Caraveo of Colorado and Eric Sorenson of Illinois joined each committee Republicans to ballot to beforehand nan bill.

After hours of heated statement and disapproval from Democrats, support from nan 4 lawmakers crossed nan aisle seemed to astonishment House Agriculture Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson, a Pennsylvania Republican who was nan bill’s superior sponsor.

His microphone picked up his speech arsenic nan ballot concluded: “That was bipartisan. I did not spot that 1 coming.”

Changes apt up for workplace bill

But nan tepid Democratic support is apt not capable to spot this type of nan measure done to last transition successful nan House.

A fistful of Republicans typically reason workplace bills complete fiscal concerns. And moreover Democrats who voted for nan measure successful nan House committee said it needs awesome changes earlier it could make it into law.

The measurement does not person support of Democrats successful nan Senate aliases nan White House.

“Everyone knows that this measure would ne'er go law. The Senate won’t judge it, and nan management won’t judge it,” Rep. David Scott of Georgia, nan ranking Democrat connected nan committee, said astatine nan markup. “And while this measure is simply a elephantine misstep, it nevertheless originates our travel toward passing a workplace bill.”

As nan House committee debated nan bill, Michigan Democrat Debbie Stabenow, nan chair of nan Senate Agriculture Committee, said successful an question and reply Thursday that nan House connection has nary chance successful nan Senate.

“It tears up nan workplace and nutrient conjugation and does not person nan votes to walk connected nan House floor. And surely not successful nan Senate,” Stabenow told States Newsroom.

USDA main voices ‘deep concerns’ complete U.S. House GOP workplace bill’s nutrition cuts

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said earlier this week that nan workplace measure draught would harm nan conjugation that traditionally has agreed down workplace bills and “raises nan existent anticipation of being incapable to get a workplace measure done nan process.”

The committee ballot – which came 8 months aft nan erstwhile workplace measure expired – was nan first measurement successful what is expected to proceed to beryllium a prolonged conflict complete nutrient and workplace policy.

Many workplace commodity groups person travel retired successful support of nan bill, but it faces guidance from hunger defense groups arsenic good arsenic fiscal conservatives.

Heritage Foundation, National Taxpayers Union and Taxpayers for Common Sense, on pinch Environmental Working Group, agreed this week to reason nan legislation, which they characterized arsenic a authorities giveaway to favored typical interests.

The groups, which span nan ideological spectrum, contend nan projected authorities would walk tens of billions of dollars successful subsidies that would overwhelmingly spell to a comparatively mini number of farmers who turn definite commodity crops.

Agriculture committee profoundly divided complete nutrition, ambiance programs

Historically, workplace bills person brought together lawmakers crossed statement lines, uniting connected location interests. The monolithic measure stitches together support for agriculture producers, power and conservation programs connected farmland and nutrient and nutrition programs for families successful need.

But committee members are profoundly divided complete limits connected nutrition and ambiance programs that are nan backing mechanisms for nan Republican bill.

“This, connected nan argumentation side, is simply a very bully bill,” Rep. Angie Craig, a Minnesota Democrat, said. “But connected nan costs side, really do you get to your math?”

The key dispute for Democrats is simply a backing calculation that would spot limits connected nan look that calculates benefits for nan Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, nan nutrient assistance programme formerly referred to arsenic nutrient stamps.

“One of nan reasons it is truthful difficult to discuss nan small items connected this measure is because nan large items and nan backing system are truthful fundamentally flawed,” Maine Democrat Chellie Pingree said.

The measure would limit early updates to nan Thrifty Food Plan, nan look that calculates benefits for SNAP. This would consequence successful a astir $30 cardinal simplification successful spending complete 10 years, based connected nan estimates from nan Congressional Budget Office, lawmakers say.

“If we want a workplace measure that is capable to walk into rule pinch nan bipartisan levels that it requires to walk beyond this committee, it is basal that we spell backmost to nan negotiating array and region this provision,” Caraveo said.

Caraveo, who faces a reliable re-election successful a toss-up district, yet voted successful favour of nan bill.

Connecticut Democrat Jahana Hayes offered an amendment that would person struck nan changes to nan program. But aft much than 2 hours of impassioned statement connected nan rumor Thursday night, nan amendment grounded connected a party-line vote, 25-29.

The workplace measure has to stay fund neutral, truthful lawmakers must fresh their proposals into a baseline projection of really overmuch nan authorities would walk complete nan adjacent 10 years if nan existent workplace measure was extended.

The House Republican measure would offset increases successful payments for farmers by placing limits connected SNAP and a discretionary relationship astatine nan U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The committee-passed measure would put limits connected USDA’s discretionary Commodity Credit Corporation relationship and would region climate-smart argumentation requirements for astir $13 cardinal successful conservation projects funded by nan Inflation Reduction Act.

“Farmers work together that this is bully money that has travel to each of our states, and is critically important,” Pingree said. “So taking distant this authority from 1 agriculture caput possibly because you don’t for illustration 1 programme is wholly misguided. It’s not reasoning into nan future.”

Slow U.S. Senate advancement connected workplace bill

On nan Senate side, Stabenow released an outline of her ain proposal for nan workplace measure successful early May but said she is waiting for connection from Republicans earlier they tin move forward.

Among different things, Stabenow’s measure would boost eligibility for nutrition programs for low-income group for illustration SNAP. Stabenow made nationalist a summary of nan bill, but not legislative text.

Arkansas Republican John Boozman, nan Senate Agriculture Committee’s apical Republican, said Thursday he supports nan guidance connected nan workplace measure from nan House Agriculture Committee but was not optimistic astir swift activity successful his chamber.

“We’ve sewage a batch of headwinds,” Boozman said successful an question and reply pinch States Newsroom connected Thursday.

Boozman said he plans to merchandise connection successful nan coming weeks but indicated lawmakers mightiness beryllium headed toward different hold if they cannot make advancement swiftly.

“When I sojourn pinch nan workplace groups, I deliberation their cognition is that alternatively than conscionable doing something, if it’s not meaningful, we’re amended disconnected waiting,” Boozman told States Newsroom. “This is simply a five-year commitment. And, again, if we’re not going to do meaningful changes, to amended nan information of nan farmers, it’s astir apt not worthy doing.”

Timing of 2024 predetermination could beryllium an issue

The workplace measure is mostly considered “must-pass” legislation. Lawmakers must rewrite nan sweeping authorities each 5 years to group mandatory backing levels and policy. The existent workplace measure expired astatine nan extremity of September 2023 but astir programs person continued done extensions.

The existent hold lasts until nan extremity of September, but it is not clear if lawmakers will make that deadline – particularly arsenic attraction turns to predetermination campaigns complete nan summertime and fall.

The workplace measure votes could beryllium substance successful upcoming elections.

As nan House committee debated nan measurement Thursday, nan GOP campaigner successful nan Michigan U.S. Senate title to switch Stabenow criticized Democratic campaigner and committee personnel Elissa Slotkin for her stance connected nan bill. Republican Mike Rogers took to X (formerly Twitter) to opportunity Slotkin had not focused capable connected nan bill.

More negotiations betwixt Democrats, Republicans ahead

While nan House committee engaged successful 13 hours of statement connected nan workplace measure markup, Democrats and Republicans acknowledged that location would request to beryllium much negotiations connected nan measure earlier it could go law.

Rep. Frank Lucas, an Oklahoma Republican and longtime committee personnel who chaired nan sheet from 2011 to 2015, characterized nan committee ballot arsenic “the first measurement of a agelong journey.”

“Now, ultimately, ultimately, we must activity pinch each different to beforehand a broad committee product,” Lucas said.

“As we statesman this process, I want to punctual each my colleagues, nan existent struggle is not present successful nan Ag Committee, but connected nan level of nan United States House and successful nan convention committee. We will benignant retired our differences pinch nan United States Senate.”

Jennifer Shutt contributed to this report.

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