The US Senate approved a sweeping, nearly $1 trillion farm bill late Monday that sets out agriculture policy for the next five years, including expansion of crop insurance and reduction of food stamps.
The bill, which allocates some $955 billion on nutrition and conservation programs, commodities and other agriculture spending, passed 66-27 with broad bipartisan support, and goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.
It slashes some $24 billion from the federal deficit compared with the previous farm bill, a consideration Democrats hope will beef up the likelihood of passage in the Republican-led House where members have expressed intent to cut even more.
Agriculture is among the biggest US industries, accounting for at least 16 million jobs, and Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, chair of the Agriculture Committee, has called passing the farm bill this year a top priority.
“It’s been a long road,” she said on the Senate floor, referring to how last year’s farm bill passed by the Senate was not taken up by the Republican-controlled House, causing the Senate version to expire at the end of 2012.
“I’m very optimistic we will get this done” and on to President Barack Obama’s desk for his signature.
Stabenow accused House Republicans of having “walked away from rural America last year,” but “this year it looks like it’s going to be different.”
House Speaker John Boehner suggested as much Monday in a statement saying the House will begin “vigorous and open debate” on its version of the farm bill later this month.
But Boehner hinted at a potential showdown, particularly over dairy provisions from last year that Boehner opposes, but that were kept in the 2013 bill.
“I oppose those provisions and will support efforts on the House floor to change them appropriately,” he said, but he urged House members to come forward with possible solutions.
“Let’s have the debate, and let’s vote,” he said.
By far the largest part of the bill, some $760.5 billion over 10 years — the chunk of time over which the costs are calculated — addresses nutritional programs including food stamps, which the legislation cuts by some $4 billion.
House lawmakers have called for even deeper cuts in the food stamp program as part of their goal of slashing a further $15 billion from the overall bill.
It also marks a major transition from direct payments to farmers, a decades-old policy that helps shield growers from risk, to a market-based crop insurance system.
The new crop insurance plan would cost $89 billion over 10 years.
US Senate approves $955 bn farm bill, House up next
