Despite pressure from millions of good people about the nation, this afternoon the U. S. House of Representatives reconsidered and passed the very nasty and partisan Agriculture Reauthorization bill, aka the once-every-five-year Farm Bill.
NOT A SINGLE DEMOCRAT VOTED FOR THIS BILL! It was also too extreme for 20 Republican House members to support. Yet, it passed on a vote of 213 to 211.
All six Republican members of the House from Missouri voted for this horrible bill.
Recall that this piece of legislation – unlike recent Farm Bills – came from the committee chair’s office with little input from Republican and no support from Democrat members of the Agriculture Committee. It was then made worse by floor amendments from hard right GOP members.
Among the bill’s low-points…
Two-million Americans just beginning to get their economic feet back under them would be kicked-off food stamp rolls.
Increased penalties for not working enough, despite intentions and efforts, will take stamps away from millions for years.
Cuts funds for benefits by $19 billion.
Increases state costs for tracking and reporting work income and other data.
Allows states to farm-out their food stamp programs to for-profit companies.
Of course, we could also spend time talking about bloated sugar subsidies, a love for corporate farm operations over true family farms, losses in support to rural communities and a lot of other bad things in the Farm Bill.
The bottom line: the House has been lost, now all attention must be directed at the Senate. Please call Missouri’s two Senators early and often, and, encourage your friends to call as well.
ROY BLUNT CLAIRE McCASKILL
(202) 224-5721 (202) 224-6154
Remember, before this vote the State of Louisiana (where better than one in five folks gets food stamps) had begun efforts to end the entire food stamp program in their state! (Republican politicians claim they can’t afford the modest state investment in infrastructure to support the program.)
If the lower payment structure in the House Farm Bill passes, well, I would not be surprised if several states – INCLUDING MISSOURI –start efforts to end government help for hungry families.
Submitted by Glenn Koenen, WCD Member