News

Reconciliation and the new farm bill

A U.S. Representative from Kansas says the reconciliation process could affect the progress of a new farm bill.

“Because it impacts the pay-fors that exist in the farm bill.”

Sharice Davids, a Democratic member of the House Ag Committee, tells Brownfield lawmakers are watching to see how Republicans move forward with cuts to nutrition spending.

“Our ranking member has been vocal about trying to ensure the reconciliation process doesn’t diminish the pay-fors that we would need to use to get the farm bill across the finish line.”

Dusty Johnson, a Republican from South Dakota who is also on the House Ag Committee, says there’s no plan to cut nutrition benefits for eligible people in reconciliation.

“None of that’s been floated or proposed. None of that is in texts that people are passing around.”

However “there are some things that could affect eligibility. I’ve had a bill for a number of years that would adjust the work requirement, the ages impacted and there are other improvements we could make.”

The House Ag Committee has until Thursday to provide feedback to the House Budget Committee on how to reduce ag spending $230 billion over the next decade to comply with proposed budget cuts.