House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson announced Wednesday a series of proposals that will be part of a bill that will set agriculture and nutrition policy for the next five years.
The bill was originally scheduled to be passed by Oct. 1, but Congress extended the existing program by one year to give committees more time to finalize the bill. This law provides federal assistance for certain crops, insures farmers against natural disasters, and provides food for poor Americans, especially programs formerly known as food stamps. It provides funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Under the existing program, the farm bill is expected to cost $1.5 trillion over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Of this total, $1.2 trillion is earmarked for nutrition programs.
The proposal announced Wednesday does not include specific funding levels, but Thompson said it would provide more funding for some nutrition programs. It would also prevent the USDA from “arbitrarily increasing” SNAP benefits and “hold USDA and states accountable for the generosity of American taxpayers.”
Traditionally, combining funding for both farmers and nutrition programs has attracted support from Republicans and Democrats. Thompson said bipartisan support is breaking down because Republicans are pushing for cuts and new restrictions on programs to help the poor. That happened in 2013 and 2018, but Congress ultimately passed a bipartisan bill.
This time, the Senate is controlled by Democrats, so any legislation would need support from members of both parties.
But Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.), the top Democrat on the House committee, said last month that he supported the bill if it relied on what his party called “draconian cuts” to SNAP benefits. He said he would not.
“On this farm bill, House Republicans will abandon partisanship and follow the same partisan ideological strategy,” he said.
Thompson, a Republican, took over as committee chair in January 2023 and said he met with all groups affected by the bill before proposing it. “Unanimous support for this effort to bring stability to producers, protect our nation’s food security, and revitalize rural America,” he said when the committee considers the bill May 23. He said he wanted to.
“This bill is the result of an extensive and transparent process that included soliciting feedback from members of both political parties, input from stakeholders from across the country, and some tough conversations,” Thompson said. . “Each title in this Farm Bill reflects our commitments to America’s farmers and viable paths to funding those commitments, and is equally responsive to the politics of the 118th Congress. .”
