As producers await an update on the House Ag Committee’s farm bill proposal, there is still plenty of contention surrounding the scheduled mark up today.
During a press call on Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack expressed “deep concerns” about the newest version, saying that the bill “overpromises” farmers, while trying to force a “crack in the coalition” that typically passes a farm bill.
“It really is designed not to create a route to passage,” he said, “but I think it’s designed unfortunately for a route to impasse, which will cause a further delay.”
Vilsack also expressed his opposition for nutritional provisions laid out by the House’s version, stating, “Proposing to reduce over time the benefits that might be available to families that are utilizing SNAP, as much as $27 billion, it is essentially a crack in the coalition.”
Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-Pa.) and the ag secretary are at odds over Thompson’s draft. The bill will take authority from the U.S. Department of Agriculture over the Commodity Credit Corp.
“Funding the farm bill is always a puzzle,” said Thompson. “Finding the right pieces to produce a strong farm bill has been tricky but also a worthwhile venture because we’ve been able to make historic investments in the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024.”
Vilsack argued that restricting the secretary’s authority would hinder the rapid use of the CCC in emergencies, especially given Congress’s slow pace in providing direct aid. Additionally, the House bill poses another issue by limiting USDA’s ability to allocate funds to boost commodity prices and support other farm programs.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that suspending USDA’s authority over ten years would save $8 billion. However, House Agriculture GOP staff argue that the savings should total $53 billion, as previous CBO forecasts underestimated actual CCC spending. Vilsack criticized this as “a budget gimmick” or “counterfeit money,” claiming the savings aren’t genuine.
Prop 12 is another cornerstone concern in the farm bill
The National Pork Producers Council, American Farm Bureau Federation, and nearly 1,000 other agricultural groups formed a coalition to support a federal Prop 12 fix in the farm bill.
So far, the group is pleased with the House Ag Committee’s farm bill proposal.
The farm bill funds foreign animal disease prevention and preparedness with $233 million a year for the term of the farm bill. The bill also provides an opportunity that NPCC says will protect states’ rights, allowing them to regulate producers only within their borders.
Not surprisingly, the Humane Society of the United States and its partners call these changes a “reckless attempt to invalidate state laws, including Proposition 12.”
The groups argue that “the language in the Farm Bill directly violates the principle of states’ rights, infringing on the ability of states to determine their own agriculture and market policies.”
»Related: In the wake of California’s Prop 12: How things are changing
