The farm bill draft released yesterday by the House Agriculture
Committee proposes a significant restructuring of farmland conservation
programs and a downsizing of rural energy initiatives.
Like the Senate version of the bill passed last month with bipartisan support, the House draft would cut the number of conservation programs from 23 down to 13. But unlike the Senate version, the House bill provides no mandatory funding for energy programs that help farmers and ranchers make energy efficiency improvements and plant biofuel crops.
Overall, the draft farm bill would reduce direct spending by $35.1 billion over the next decade, according to Congressional Budget Office scoring released yesterday. The figure is $12 billion more than the estimate for the Senate-passed version of the farm bill with the bulk of additional cuts coming out of the national food stamp program.
The bill represents a "reform-minded, fiscally responsible policy that is equitable for farmers and ranchers in all regions and will lead to improved program delivery," Agriculture Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) said in a statement. "This bill is an investment in production agriculture and rural America."
Interest groups this morning were still looking over the 557-page bill, which was released yesterday afternoon ahead of a scheduled markup Wednesday. While the bill is similar to the Senate-passed version in some respects, it contains deeper cuts in areas and some substantial policy differences.
Read more: http://www.eenews.net/public/Greenwire/2012/07/06/1
Like the Senate version of the bill passed last month with bipartisan support, the House draft would cut the number of conservation programs from 23 down to 13. But unlike the Senate version, the House bill provides no mandatory funding for energy programs that help farmers and ranchers make energy efficiency improvements and plant biofuel crops.
Overall, the draft farm bill would reduce direct spending by $35.1 billion over the next decade, according to Congressional Budget Office scoring released yesterday. The figure is $12 billion more than the estimate for the Senate-passed version of the farm bill with the bulk of additional cuts coming out of the national food stamp program.
The bill represents a "reform-minded, fiscally responsible policy that is equitable for farmers and ranchers in all regions and will lead to improved program delivery," Agriculture Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) said in a statement. "This bill is an investment in production agriculture and rural America."
Interest groups this morning were still looking over the 557-page bill, which was released yesterday afternoon ahead of a scheduled markup Wednesday. While the bill is similar to the Senate-passed version in some respects, it contains deeper cuts in areas and some substantial policy differences.
Read more: http://www.eenews.net/public/Greenwire/2012/07/06/1
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