Senate Budget passes its bill with farm and SNAP provisions
March 15, 2013 | 02:39 PM
The Senate Budget Committee passed a budget resolution late Thursday that provides for a farm bill that cuts $23 billion in farm spending over 10 years and praises the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program better known as SNAP or food stamps.
The document was written by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray, D-Wash., and the vote was 12 to 10 along party lines. The bill is expected to be on the Senate floor next week.
The House Budget Committee has passed a very different document.
Although the House and Senate are expected to pass their own budget resolutions next week, they are so different that it is unlikely Congress will agree to a joint resolution.
“Our country’s farmers and ranchers are critical to our economy, environment, and food supply,” the resolution said. “The Senate Budget assumes $23 billion in savings can be found from reforming agriculture programs. Our budget supports the efforts of the Senate Agriculture Committee to write a new farm bill that will make significant reforms to farm programs, while refocusing support on helping farmers throughout the country manage risk.”
The resolution also calls SNAP “an effective and efficient program that responded exactly as designed during the Great Recession, which impacted millions of American families.” It also notes that the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that SNAP spending will go down as the economy improves.
The Senate Budget resolution did not say how the $23 billion in cuts over 10 years should be achieved
The House Budget resolution calls for $31 billion in cuts over 10 years to commodity programs from the direct payments and crop insurance programs, and, according to House Agriculture Committee ranking member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., $18 billion from conservation and $130 billion to $150 billion from nutrition programs, all over 10 years.
The document was written by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray, D-Wash., and the vote was 12 to 10 along party lines. The bill is expected to be on the Senate floor next week.
The House Budget Committee has passed a very different document.
Although the House and Senate are expected to pass their own budget resolutions next week, they are so different that it is unlikely Congress will agree to a joint resolution.
“Our country’s farmers and ranchers are critical to our economy, environment, and food supply,” the resolution said. “The Senate Budget assumes $23 billion in savings can be found from reforming agriculture programs. Our budget supports the efforts of the Senate Agriculture Committee to write a new farm bill that will make significant reforms to farm programs, while refocusing support on helping farmers throughout the country manage risk.”
The resolution also calls SNAP “an effective and efficient program that responded exactly as designed during the Great Recession, which impacted millions of American families.” It also notes that the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that SNAP spending will go down as the economy improves.
The Senate Budget resolution did not say how the $23 billion in cuts over 10 years should be achieved
The House Budget resolution calls for $31 billion in cuts over 10 years to commodity programs from the direct payments and crop insurance programs, and, according to House Agriculture Committee ranking member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., $18 billion from conservation and $130 billion to $150 billion from nutrition programs, all over 10 years.
