The failure of the House of Representatives to pass a new farm bill has only highlighted the challenges that the rural lobby is facing in passing a new five-year farm bill.
While the House farm bill may have failed, it was never likely to be signed into law. Had it passed, it would have had to be reconciled with the Senate farm bill, one that contains significantly fewer cuts to food stamps and nutritional subsidy programs.
The failure of the bill is highlighting the difficulty in reconciling these two radically different visions of American farm policy. Both bills eliminate direct payment subsidies, controversial payments that are given to farmers whether they plant crops or not, and both bills significantly cut conservation spending and nutritional supports.
In the House, however, Republicans were asking for more than $20 billion in nutritional cuts (as opposed to $4 billion in the Senate bill).
As rural representatives lobby to reintroduce the farm bill, these major differences between the House and Senate will need to be worked out if there is to be any hope of passing new farm legislation this year.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer