Colorado Senator Michael Bennet is throwing his weight behind the elimination of direct payment farm subsidies, which have benefitted many Colorado farmers including Bennet and his family.
For the past year, the farm bill has been crawling its way through Congress. While Senators and members of the House Agriculture Committee agreed last summer on a bill that cut food stamps funding and direct payment subsides, the leadership in the House of Representatives blocked the bill, dooming the measure until this summer.
Michael Bennet, Colorado’s junior Senator, is himself a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and a Colorado farmer. Like many rural legislators, Bennet and his family have personally benefitted from direct payment subsidies, with Bennet’s wife receiving more than $3,000 in direct payments last year.
Bennet spokespeople, however, insist that the senator has long supported ending direct payments. “He supports the bill overall and the elimination of direct payments, as he did last year when the Senate passed the bill with a bipartisan majority,” Adam Bozzi said. “The House failed to act on the bill last year, and Colorado paid the price. We’re hoping the Senate will pass the bill again this week and that this time the House will follow suit.”
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer