2013 Farm Bill Update

This week, the Senate began consideration of the 2013 Farm Bill, with Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) offering the first amendment to eliminate crop insurance subsidies for tobacco.

Full Senate debate comes less than a week after the Senate Ag Committee passed the bill with a 15-5 vote on May 14. In opening comments, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) chairwoman of the Senate Ag Committee, again touted the expected $24 billion in taxpayer savings the Farm Bill offers, as well as the new options for crop insurance.

However, McCain said the eight types of tobacco covered under crop insurance in the Farm Bill are profitable without “their old farm subsidies.” His amendment, which is co-sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), would save $333 million over the next 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) and Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-MN) issued the following statements after the House Agriculture Committee approved its version of the Farm Bill, by a large, bipartisan vote of 36-10. “I am proud of the Committee’s effort to advance a Farm Bill with significant savings and reforms. We achieved nearly $40 billion in savings by eliminating outdated government programs and reforming others. No other committee in Congress is voluntarily cutting money, in a bipartisan way, from its jurisdiction to reduce the size and scope of the federal government.”

“I’m pleased the Committee was able to work together, find some common ground and advance a five-year Farm Bill today. Needless to say, this process has gone on far too long and it is past time to get this bill done. With today’s action, I’m optimistic the Farm Bill will continue through regular order and be brought to the House floor in June. If we can stay on track, I think we should be able to conference with the Senate in July and have a new five-year Farm Bill in place before the August recess,” Rep. Peterson added.

Also expected this week are more amendments regarding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance and conservation compliance, but for now, the White House and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack are supportive of the action on the bill so far.