The 2008 farm bill expires at the end of September and Congress will not return to Washington until mid-September. That means a lot of negotiating must be done in August to move this bill before it expires. The Senate passed its version of the 2012 farm bill in June, and it includes funding for disaster assistance for one year. The House Agriculture Committee passed its version of the bill in July, but without greater cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – formerly known as the food stamp program – House leadership doesn’t have the votes to pass the bill. The Senate-passed bill includes a $4.5 billion cut to SNAP over 10 years; while the House committee-passed bill includes a $16.1 billion cut to SNAP – a cut too high to garner enough Democratic votes, and not enough of a cut for many conservative members. And the stalemate continues.
Best of luck to congressional staff that have to find a happy medium. Until a deal is struck, there will be no aid to farmers and livestock producers that are suffering from this summer drought.
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