Mississippi Senator Thad Cochran may be a wildcard in the Senate Agriculture Committee now that he’s replaced Kansas Senator Pat Roberts as the ranking member of the committee.
In January, at the start of the current congressional session, Senator Cochran, as part of an internal agreement among GOP leaders, took over the ranking Republican position on the Senate Agriculture Committee. The move was somewhat unexpected and Cochran’s rise in the committee represents a rare opportunity for Southern farmers.
The 2012 Farm Bill, which died in a House committee, was bitterly opposed by many Southern farmers, who viewed it as too favorable to Midwestern corn farmers. In particular, many saw the elimination of direct payment subsidies as a major sacrifice that was only offset by increased crop insurance subsides that largely helped corn producers.
In addition to adding strength to the voice of Southern farmers, Cochran’s elevation could add a new wrinkle to the debate over food stamps funding. “I come from a state where, probably per capita, we have higher participation rates in the food stamp program, in the school lunch program and government subsidized meals for this, that and the other,” Cochran said in an interview earlier this month.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer