One Step Forward: House Ag Committee Advances Farm Bill

Washington--The House Agriculture Committee on Wednesday approved H.R. 6083, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2012 by a vote of 35-11.

“Today marked an important step forward in the development of the next farm bill,” said Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) in a statement. Lucas also noted that the currentfarm bill expires on Sept. 30 and only 13 legislative days remain before the August recess.

The legislation approved by the committee eliminates farm program direct payments, as did the version of the bill approved by the Senate last month. The committee bill cuts $12 billion more from food stamps compared to the Senate bill. It also includes a number of crop insurance programs for farmers affected by bad weather and natural disasters, as does the Senate version.

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