Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Congress Tees Up an $867 Billion Farm Bill

Republicans are preparing to bring to the House floor a farm bill that will cost taxpayers at least $867 billion over 10 years.

The economic depression and dust bowl in the 1930s prompted the first "Farm bill" in 1933, with subsidies and production controls to raise farm incomes and encourage conservation.

The 1973 farm bill was the first "Omnibus" farm bill; it included not only farm supports but also food stamp reauthorization to provide nutrition assistance for needy individuals.

Subsequent farm bills expanded in scope, adding titles for formerly stand-alone laws such as trade, credit, and crop insurance.

New conservation laws were added in the 1985 farm bill, organic agriculture in the 1990 farm bill, research programs in the 1996 farm bill, bioenergy in the 2002 farm bill, and horticulture and local food systems in the 2008 farm bill.

Many Democrats are objecting to modest changes in the food stamp program, while some Republicans are objecting to the high spending on both farm and food subsidies.

Join us Friday at noon on Capitol Hill for a briefing on the farm bill featuring myself, Daren Bakst of the Heritage Foundation, and Scott Faber of the Environmental Working Group.

https://www.cato.org/blog/congress-tees-867-billion-farm-bill

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