According to a report at the National Hog Farmer, the release of the House Agriculture Committee’s Farm Bill text has been put on hold over objections by the committee Democrats because of major concerns regarding the proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Committee Democrats wrote Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-MN) asking all negotiations cease until they have had the opportunity to see the analysis, cost estimates, and text on the proposed changes to SNAP. Chairman Mike Conaway (R-TX) and Peterson have been negotiating on the entire Farm Bill text with the hopes of releasing it shortly.
According to Politico, this development is a considerable blow to the sweeping bill, which was seen by many as one of the only real chances for bipartisanship in Congress this year. Congress is supposed to reauthorize the bill every five years but political wrangling has threatened its fate. The current law expires Sept. 30.
The last farm bill was delayed two years and featured high-profile fights over food stamps. The House voted down a version that would have cut SNAP by $20 billion over a decade, then passed a bill that stripped out the program entirely.
It remains to be seen what the next steps are for the committee.
