Posted November 15, 2013
House Agricultural Committee ranking member Collin
Peterson (D-MN) said that the conference is making progress toward a farm bill
deal, according to an article by The Hill available here.
Peterson suggested that the framework for an agreement
could be finished next week, stating, “It will probably be next week…far be it
for me to set deadlines.” Peterson said good
work is being done on the energy title and the controversial nutrition title. He said that, so far, leaders including House
Agricultural Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK), and Sens. Debbie Stabenow
(D-MI) and Thad Cochran (R-MS), the chairwoman and ranking member of the Senate
Agriculture Committee “have been left alone by party leaders.”
Conferee Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH), lead negotiator on
the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly called “food
stamps,” said she was hopeful that they would get to a “starting place” on cuts
in the next couple of days. The Senate
bill cuts the program by $4 billion in addition to the $11 billion in cuts this
month. The House bill cuts $39 billion
from the program. Secretary of
Agriculture, Tom Vilsack recently urged lawmakers to reject the “hatchet” cuts
to SNAP in the House bill, according to a Reuters article available here.
Other challenges remaining include the issue of target
prices and how to build a new safety net to replace the current system of
direct cash payments to farmers, according to a Politico article available here.
The Senate bill proposes to “set its targets by using a
five-year rolling average of market prices multiplied by 55 percent. When pressed, the authors admit there is no
magic to the 55 percent number. But as a
practical matter, it makes the program worthless to many growers, especially
wheat.”
The House bill has been criticized for “being too quick
to count even a farmer’s labor and land investments in calculating production costs.” Part of the criticism is regional and
reflects the “House’s greater sensitivity” to Southern agriculture.
What most agree on, however, is that they want a farm
bill.
For more information on Farm Bills, please visit the
National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
