The Senate and House have taken very different approaches to this legislation. The Senate bill contains a new dairy program that combines a voluntary price insurance plan with a supply management component. The Senate bill also cuts the Food Stamp program by roughly 4 billion dollars over the next 10 years.
I think we can write something that is good for the farmers, good for all Americans - Senator Patrick Leahy
In contrast, the House voted against the new dairy plan, and in a separate bill, it cut the Food Stamp program by 40 billion dollars.
Leahy is a member of the conference committee negotiating the details of a new Farm Bill.
“I think we can write something that’s good for the farmers, good for all Americans,” said Leahy. “But the problem is like very thing else that’s been put off for so long as we’ve gone through these shutdowns and needless wastes of time this is critical that we finish it or it’s going to be a real, real problem for not only the American taxpayers but for farmers across the country.”
And Leahy doesn’t want the Senate to accept any more cuts to the Food Stamp program because the program faces additional budget pressures.
“If the House, and the House knows, that if their cuts at a time when we still have high unemployment where you still have hungry children around America that their cuts are not going to sail,” said Leahy. “We’re not going to pass a Farm Bill with those cuts.”
Leahy says the new dairy provisions will save taxpayers several billion dollars over the life of the Farm Bill and he hopes to convince House members that it’s a sensible approach to take.
