Ag Policy Blog

Farm Bill Looking Less Likely

Chris Clayton
By  Chris Clayton , DTN Ag Policy Editor
Connect with Chris:
@ChrisClaytonDTN

The people debating whether to push work requirements for able-bodied food stamp recipients are having trouble getting their work done before the end of the year.

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, told reporters in Washington the House is ready to give farm-bill negotiators may require another short-term extension into January. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., indicated on AgriTalk earlier in the week that negotiations may have to carry into January.

USDA and the White House communications staff issued a statement late Thursday afternoon from USDA Communications Director Matt Paul. 

P[L1] D[0x0] M[300x250] OOP[F] ADUNIT[] T[]

"Negotiations on Capitol Hill about the Farm Bill should continue until House and Senate leaders reach agreement on a comprehensive bill. Numerous members of both sides have indicated progress, and the country deserves continued work on this critical legislation."

Push for Payment Caps

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, continued to make his case for a tighter payment cap and more specific requirements for being considered as actively engaged in farming. Grassley makes the case in an editorial published in POLITICO.

"Years ago, when Congress joined farm and nutrition policy into one piece of legislation, it meant that the legislative leaders in agriculture would be, almost by default, leaders in nutrition policy. People might thus believe there should be some parallels between the structures of the two programs, as both in theory provide a limited amount of support in times of need," he wrote.

"However, in this farm bill conference, it seems some members want to reduce food stamps while reopening loopholes for multi-million-dollar farming entities. There’s bipartisan agreement that the food-stamp program needs reform, but how can we save money in one program and at the same time turn a blind eye to the loopholes that millionaires exploit?"

Read more: http://dld.bz/…

Follow me on Twitter @ChrisClaytonDTN

© Copyright 2013 DTN/The Progressive Farmer. All rights reserved.

Previous Post (Groups Recognize World Soil Day )
Next Post (White House Praises WTO Agreement in Bali) 
P[] D[728x170] M[320x75] OOP[F] ADUNIT[] T[]

P[L2] D[728x90] M[320x50] OOP[F] ADUNIT[] T[]

Comments

To comment, please Log In or Join our Community .

W Kuster
12/17/2013 | 2:20 PM CST
You forgot Jay how liberals and democrats refused to cut insane government spending as Reagan wanted.
CRAIG MOORE
12/16/2013 | 9:48 AM CST
Jay, take the excess payments into the general fund of SS and remove the moving of future retirement payments of fed workers to pay for current expenses and your Clinton surpluses disappear. And what has main street gotten out of the 935 billion pumped into the bond market by Obama this year alone. With so many touting how worthless Regans trickle down theory was, exactly what is pumping a trillion a year into Wall Street really doing? Come on, city and state, big boy.
Jay Mcginnis
12/13/2013 | 6:22 AM CST
I guess you really howled when Reagan tripled the debt and when Bush took Clintons surplus and ran up a debt Sally??? How do you "fiscal conservatives" justify $800 billion for the war in Iraq??? What did we get in return for that one?
Raymond Simpkins
12/10/2013 | 2:55 PM CST
Mr Brandy I could do it, but it would just end up going to someone like you.And i'll say it again good smart farmers don't need it.
Sally Benson
12/10/2013 | 12:36 PM CST
There is no point in giving any money back. Obama and the liberals in congress have an endless supply of money to give out. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6TcpfBHlbs
Mr. Brandy
12/10/2013 | 12:00 PM CST
Since both of you are dead against farm subsidies, why don't you give back the cash cow dollars that you have received over the past years and help out the national debt a little bit. I bet that if you walk into the FSA office and tell them that you would like to re-pay all of that money, they would figure out where to send it. Just a thought. After all, good farmers don't need it.
Jay Mcginnis
12/10/2013 | 9:19 AM CST
Maybe we should have the same requirements for the "able-bodied food stamp recipients" for the farmers? or for both we should bring out a bathroom scales and weigh them,,,, how many farmers would get aid then?????
Raymond Simpkins
12/10/2013 | 7:15 AM CST
The farm programs have turned into a cash cow instead of a safety net.We should have to show a loss or no gain to be eligable for any farm payments.If you can't farm in this day in age without aid your in trouble before you even get started.Good farmers can farm on their own.