Ag Policy Blog

The House named conferees Saturday morning after rejecting an effort to reforms in sugar policy.

Backers of current sugar policies on tariffs and imports were able to defeat arguments that would have increased imports. The vote was 191 to 213. Eighty five Republicans and 128 Democrats voted against the resolution.

The House voted 195-204 against instruction proposed by House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., to reinstate 1938 and 1949 permanent law to the farm bill. The House version of the farm bill actually updates to make the new commodity program the new "permanent law." Peterson's language also would have reinstated the nutrition programs as part of the full bill.

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., opposed Peterson's measure, saying that keeping the provisions as originally passed offered flexibility in the conference negotiations with the Senate.

The House did approve, by a voice vote Friday, language would encourage the conferees to lower the premium subsidy for farmers making more than $750,000 in adjusted gross income, or $1.5 million for married couples. Under the provision, those higher-income farmers would see their premium subsidy lowered 15 percentage points, from a maximum of 62% to 47%. The language is comparable to an amendment added to the Senate farm bill on the floor last spring. Dozens of agricultural groups have expressed their disappointment over the language.

On the floor Saturday, House conferees named included:

REPUBLICANS

House Agriculture Committee Frank Lucas of Oklahoma,

Rep. Steve King of Iowa

Rep. Randy Neugebauer of Texas

Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama

Rep. Michael Conaway of Texas

Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson of Pennsylvania

Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia

Rep. Rick Crawford of Arkansas

Rep. Martha Roby of Alabama

Rep. Kristi Noem of South Dakota

Rep. Jeff Denham of California

Rep. Rodney Davis of Illinois

DEMOCRATS

House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson of Minnesota,

Rep. Mike McIntyre of North Carolina

Rep. Jim Costa of California

Rep. Tom Walz of Minnesota

Rep. Kurt Schrader of Oregon

Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts

Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington

Rep. Gloria McLeod of California

Rep. Filemon Villa of California

To deal with trade issues: From the Committee of Foreign Affairs, Chairman Ed Royce of California, Ranking Member Eliot Engel of New York and Republican Tom Moreno of Pennsylvania.

To deal with revenue issues: From the Ways and Means Committee, Chairman David Camp of Michigan, Republican Sam Johnson of Texas and Ranking Member Sander Levin of Michigan

To deal with nutrition issues: Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Fla., and Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio. Fudge is also a member of the House Agriculture Committee.

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