Ag Policy Blog

Stabenow Praises Reid for Prioritizing Farm Bill

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

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., issued a news release Tuesday in which she "applauded" Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., for listing the farm bill as one of the majority leader's "privileged, top priority bills" for the year, which Stabenow said underscored Reid's commitment to getting the legislation completed.

“I applaud Sen. Reid’s leadership and commitment to getting a five-year farm bill done to provide certainty to the 16 million Americans working in agriculture,” Stabenow said. “Last year we were able to pass a farm bill with overwhelming bipartisan support, saving more than $23 billion in taxpayer money and reforming farm bill programs to be more cost-effective and market-oriented. Unfortunately, the House didn’t bring the Farm Bill to the floor. Majority Leader Reid has demonstrated that the Senate will once again make supporting our nation’s agriculture economy while cutting spending a top priority.”

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As Stabenow's news release added, the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act (S.2340) cleared the Senate with overwhelming, bipartisan support on June 21, 2012. The bill reforms food and agriculture policy, consolidates programs and saves taxpayers more than $23 billion by making programs more cost-effective. The bill and the bipartisan way in which it was passed was praised by Members on both sides of the aisle. Additionally, a wide range of national press outlets called the bill one of the most significant reforms in decades and praised its passage as an example of the Senate finally working the way it should.

Stabenow has said she is committed to convening a Committee mark up as soon as possible, to produce an updated version of the farm bill, which could then be substituted for Majority Leader Reid’s placeholder bill.

Stabenow's release comes as more questions are raised about just how much will the Agriculture Committee's be expected to cut to complete a final bill. The House bill cut the growth of spending over the next 10 years by about $10 billion more than the Senate bill but it still wasn't enough to satisfy House leaders.

The congressional budget office score for the cost of crop insurance over the next decade could soar as well. Payouts have now reached a record more than $12 billion for the 2012 crop year.

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Lon Truly
1/27/2013 | 6:39 AM CST
Bonnie - This is not a time for conservatives to roll over and die. I like Sarah Palin's attitude a whole lot more "We haven't yet begun to fight."
Bonnie Dukowitz
1/23/2013 | 12:51 PM CST
Cliff, Dubb it "FoodnFarm Bill" In general, I would tend to not disagree.
Cliff Meeuwsen
1/23/2013 | 10:53 AM CST
THE FARM BILL STILL HAS FLAWS ONE OF WHICH IS THE SET ASIDE, IN THIS TIME OF SHORT CROPS WE STILL PAY PEOPLE TO IDLE FARM LAND THAT SHOULD BE PRODUCEING CROPS. THE PORK SUBSIDIES THAT ARE LOADED ON WITH IN THE FARM BILL ARE EXCESSIVE, WE SHOULD REALLY CALL THIS ANOTHER WELFARE BILL!
Ric Ohge
1/23/2013 | 9:30 AM CST
We just found out, thanks to RT-as the MSM didn't ply us with this story, that the overrun riddled, technical problems riddled, now over a Trillion Dollars spent on F-35 can't fly in a thunderstorm...lightning is an issue. (Hilarious when one considers Commercial and Private aircraft mostly DON'T have this issue) So, WHY are we committed to spending hundreds of billions more on this? Wouldn't it make more sense to invest in the one sector that IS actually the foundation for our ENTIRE economy? "Trickle Down" was just a sound-bite, albeit an oft repeated one. The truth is, revenue flows UP. and if the Producers, the Farmers & Small Businesses aren't healthily generating capital, there isn't anything flowing. How long is it going to be until the tools in Washington GET THIS?
Bonnie Dukowitz
1/23/2013 | 7:49 AM CST
Chris, Question. Was the Senate Food"n"Farm bill not enough reductions for the House Leadership or the majority of the House members. I think the second choice. Speaker Boehner has a better handle on things than anyone gives him credit for. If the Senate Ag committee would spend a little time getting Senator Reid to get a budget passed, the House would have something to work with.( the Senate has not passed a budget bill in four years). Did the Senate offer a compromise splitting the cost difference of the two food"n"farm bill proposals? NO! It was their way or the highway. The Senate Leadership and Ag Committee was spending to much time pointing their fingers at Rep. Boehner. Lon, a line was drawn and what was the result, Obama for 4 more.
Lon Truly
1/22/2013 | 11:25 AM CST
Definitely time for conservatives to draw a line in cement and end the mindless government spending in ag targeting the largest operators with multimillion dollar investment/profit guarantees as well as millions in subsidies. It is truly pathetic to enslave and drown our children in overwhelming debt in order to pander to some of the world's wealthiest and greediest.