Senate Overwhelmingly Passes Sweeping Farm Bill, Setting up Fight with House

June 29, 2018

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by Caitlin Dewey and Erica Werner (Washington Post) The Senate passed its version of the $428 billion farm bill Thursday, setting up a bitter fight against the House over food stamps, farm subsidies and conservation funding.

The Senate measure passed in an 86-to-11 vote, overwhelming support that reflected a bipartisan desire to rush relief to farmers confronting low prices for their products and an array of other troubles. But the bill faces challenges when lawmakers meet later this summer to reconcile gaping differences between the House and Senate bills.

The House version of the legislation, passed narrowly last week with no Democratic support, imposes strict new work requirements on able-bodied adults seeking food stamps. The Senate version, which needed Democratic votes to pass, does not include major changes to food stamps.

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House Republicans have proposed eliminating much of the Conservation Stewardship Program, a popular initiative aimed at encouraging farmers to address soil, air and water quality.

That stands in stark contrast to the House bill, which raises existing limits on crop subsidies. READ MORE

House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Collin C. Peterson Statement on Senate Farm Bill Passage (House Committee on Agriculture-Democrats)

Senate Farm Bill Passes Easily: Senators Overwhelmingly Support Farm Bill After Defeating Possible SNAP Changes (DTN The Progressive Farmer)

SENATE PASSES ITS FARM BILL 86-11 (Brownfield Ag News)

Senate Passes Strong Bipartisan Farm Bill – Reauthorizes Important Energy, Efficiency & Conservation (Environmental and Energy Study Institute)

On the Table: Meet the Farm Bill (Planet Forward/Nebraska's PBS & NPR stations; includes AUDIO)