On Wednesday, the U.S. House Agriculture Committee approved its portion of the budget reconciliation bill. The focus of the markup was on provisions that made changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). These changes are based on the savings required by the House Budget Committee’s reconciliation instructions for the House Agriculture Committee (reduce deficits by $230 billion over 10 years), and were also used to fund farm safety net, crop insurance, conservation, trade, and other farm program provisions.
In response, NFU President Rob Larew gave the following statement:
“We appreciate that the House Agriculture Committee recognizes the financial pressures facing family farmers and ranchers. Proposals to strengthen crop insurance, bolster the farm safety net, and maintain voluntary conservation programs are important steps toward securing the future of our food system.
But this is not the best way to produce a meaningful farm bill. Our members know that the process matters. Pitting farm and nutrition priorities against one another creates unnecessary division and weakens the broader effort. A strong farm bill—however it comes together—must reflect the full scope of challenges facing agriculture and rural communities, and it must work for everyone it touches: farmers, ranchers, and families across the country.”
