After Failing to Pass a Comprehensive Five-Year Farm Bill for Two Consecutive Years, U.S. House of Representatives Strips Nutrition Programs from Farm Bill, Hurting Ohio Farmers, Children, and Families
More than 530 Agriculture and Rural Development Organizations—Including the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, the Ohio Farmers Union, and the Ohio Pork Producers Council—Urged Speaker Boehner to Pass the Bipartisan Five-Year Farm Bill Which Passed the Senate in June
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following the U.S. House of Representatives failure to pass a comprehensive farm bill, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) released the following statement:
“July 2 the House broke a 40-year bipartisan tradition of passing a comprehensive Farm Bill,” Brown said. “This approach was opposed by more than 530 agriculture, commodity, and rural development groups because they know that splitting the bill will hurt American agriculture. The Senate was able to pass a strong, bipartisan bill that implemented critical farm safety reforms and saved taxpayers more than the House bill. It’s time for the House to put American farmers and producers ahead of partisan politics.”
After failing to pass a comprehensive, five-year farm bill in 2012 and again this year, the House passed partisan legislation that did not include funding for critical nutrition programs that support Ohio families, children, and veterans. Last week, more than 530 agricultural and rural development organizations urged Speaker Boehner to vote on the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, a five-year, bipartisan bill the Senate passed in June. Brown, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, included a number of provisions into the base text of the bill in addition to amendments that were included in the Senate Agriculture Committee mark-up.