U.S. House approves farm bill without food stamp aid

[azgreg]

U.S. House approves farm bill without food stamp aid - CNN.com

Washington (CNN) -- The U.S. House approved revised legislation on Thursday to overhaul the nation's farm programs -- one that doesn't include an extension of food stamps.

The farm bill vote in the Republican-controlled chamber fell along party lines, 216-208, and the next step would be joint House-Senate negotiations to hammer out a compromise version.

But it is unclear whether such a conference committee will be established.

The Democratic-led Senate previously passed its own version of the measure that included renewed food stamp assistance for low-income Americans.

The White House has threatened to veto the House version. House leaders plan to vote on separate legislation covering food stamps at a later date.

Normally, the farm bill covers agriculture programs and subsidies as well as food stamps, which account for much of the legislation's cost.

It looks like they are planning to split it into 2 bills.

Can someone explain why the farm bill and food stamp program are tied together in the first place?

 

[AlabamaPaul]

U.S. House approves farm bill without food stamp aid - CNN.com




It looks like they are planning to split it into 2 bills.

Can someone explain why the farm bill and food stamp program are tied together in the first place?

Because the Dept of Ag administers both...

 

[azgreg]

Because the Dept of Ag administers both...

Doesn't explain why they have to be in the same bill.

 

[ttwtt78640]

U.S. House approves farm bill without food stamp aid - CNN.com




It looks like they are planning to split it into 2 bills.

Can someone explain why the farm bill and food stamp program are tied together in the first place?

Food stamps, know known as SNAP, are basically artificially created demand for agricultural products - so they are related to farms in that respect.

 

[ocean515]

Doesn't explain why they have to be in the same bill.

Well, sometimes connections are made in bills for marketing purposes...

 

[katsung47]

One third people fed on food stamps.

101M Get Food Aid from Federal Gov’t; Outnumber Full-Time Private Sector Workers
July 8, 2013 –

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that a total of 101,000,000 people currently participate in at least one of the 15 food programs offered by the agency, at a cost of $114 billion in fiscal year 2012.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were 97,180,000 full-time private sector workers in 2012. The population of the U.S. is 316.2 million people, meaning nearly a third of Americans receive food aid from the government. - See more at:

101M Get Food Aid from Federal Gov

 

[iguanaman]

One third people fed on food stamps.

How many farmers and grocery clerks have money to spend because of it?

 

[AlabamaPaul]

Doesn't explain why they have to be in the same bill.

Normally congress tries to pass appropriations bills for a cabinet level department in one fell swoop, but since this has been contentious, these issues have been separated...

 

[Captain Adverse]

U.S. House approves farm bill without food stamp aid - CNN.com

It looks like they are planning to split it into 2 bills.

Can someone explain why the farm bill and food stamp program are tied together in the first place?

I suppose I could do some research and find the claimed reasons among "legislative intent." But I'm too lazy.

Besides the Farm Bill is a boondoggle of pork barrel crap, always guaranteed to pass. Someone prolly equated farm grows food, people buy food, let's attach food stamps sort of thought process. Lets the proponents claim bennies to gain votes from their constituents among the poor.

 

[Unitedwestand13]

i wonder if a conference committee will be formed to fix the differances in the senate and house versions? because there is no way that this split bill will make it past the senate

 

[Drake McHugh]

They do it so they can get big majorities to vote for wasteful spending under the guise of "feeding the poor". I was hoping the bill would be defeated again,but for different reasons than the left.

 

[Linc]

with 600 pages, late last night, and lied to their own caucus, and added corporate welfare--some of it directly to themselves