Senate approves sweeping five-year farm bill

[OhioChick]

Source: Marketwatch

June 21, 2012, 2:37 p.m. EDT

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The Senate on Thursday passed a sweeping, $500 billion farm bill that would end direct payments and other subsidies to farmers, while expanding crop insurance and funneling new money to “specialty” crop growers.

The legislation was approved with a rare bipartisan vote, with 64 senators voting for the measure. Thirty-five voted against it.

The five-year measure slashes money from the federal food stamp program, and overall cuts federal spending by about $23 billion over 10 years.

“This is a very fine day in the recent history of the Senate,” said Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Read more: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/farm-bill-curbing-subsidies-heads-for-vote-2012-06-21?link=MW_story_featstor

[snappyturtle]

1. I couuld cry. If I have it right in my mind (it's almost shot!), we

could ADD REVENUE to the tune of 4 times the 'savings' of this bill by ending the tax break for the uber riche.

I don't have restraints anymore...I'm plain catatonic.

[xxqqqzme]

2. As Bernie Sanders warned last night

This is a preview as to how social security and medicare will be gutted. If this was the trailer for things to come, I don't think I'm going to like the script.

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. What specialty crops?

How about food stamps?

I want more info.

[dmosh42]

4. You know we got screwed if prune-face McConnell likes it!

[xxqqqzme]

5. Yea, it means his moneyed

Last edited Thu Jun 21, 2012, 03:30 PM - Edit history (1)

buddies got what they wanted.


vote count -

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=2&vote=00164

[DURHAM D]

9. See post #8 below.

[wordpix]

27. I agree, that guy is so bought by the corporations I don't trust a thing he says

[Lint Head]

6. And people are dying because they can't get health care.

The politicians in Washington are damn cowards who don't get a shit about the people. We have no government. We have Overlords.

[bupkus]

7. V E T O

I know it will never happen but since so many Democratic senators are acting like Republicans it would be nice to see a Democratic president act like a Democrat and veto this POS.

[DURHAM D]

8. Voting -

"Forty-six Democrats and 16 Republicans voted for the bill. Both Independents who caucus with the Democrats, Sens. Joe Lieberman (Conn.) and Bernie Sanders (Vt.), voted for the bill. Thirty Republicans voted against the bill. Democratic Sens. Mary Landrieu (La.), Frank Lautenberg (N.J.), Mark Pryor (Ark.), Jack Reed (R.I.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.) voted against the bill."

http://www.dailyyonder.com/senate-passes-farm-bill/2012/06/21/4122

[benld74]

10. THis one aught to be found and explained,,,,,,

Lawmakers saved about $4 billion over 10 years from that program mainly by changing a heating program related to food-stamp benefits.

WTF is this?

[synapticwave]

19. It wasn't just heating bills

In total they Saved $4B from SNAP not just on the heating part you referenced. The Bill (everyone should make sure to read and understand before attacking) saved $4B by cracking down on several abuses in the program and the $4 billion is expected savings from these crackdowns. The following are some of the things that were addressed:

1) prevents food stamps from being used at liquor and tobacco stores
2) closes a loophole that allowed states to receive more SNAP funds based on how many people in the state received heating benefits (even if they only received $1 and regardless of if they actually had a heating bill)
3) puts in provisions to reduce benefits trafficking (black market of food stamps)

These seem like common sense things to address to me. I would have rather they closed these and INCREASED the total budget, but shutting down blatant abuse is just fine and is probably why this was passed so easily.

[wordpix]

11. "specialty crops" get $---like GMO's, maybe?

[antigone382]

15. the link says like fruits, vegetables, and nuts.

If we can cut some subsidies to corn and redirect them to vegetables with more nutritional value that will be a good thing. See my post #14 for more info from the link.

[wordpix]

26. I saw that after I posted, just hoping the GMOs weren't given subsidies for the likes of Monsanto

[hedgehog]

21. Whoa! Those specialty crops are fruits and vegetables - often

grown on gen-u-wine family farms - run by a married couple - you know - where the wife's job in town keeps the farm afloat?

Seriously - our food and environment will be better if we make changes to keep honest to goodness small farms going!

[Iliyah]

12. I need more information

If Senator Sanders voted must be fairly descent.

[antigone382]

16. See post #14

Or you can read the same info in the article linked to by the OP.

[Tx4obama]

13. Yeah but now lets see what The House does n/t

[antigone382]

14. I don't quite know what to think of this bill.

I do think we need to restructure the way we subsidize agriculture, such that it does not give agribusiness an unfair advantage over family farms, such that it does not force farmers to push higher and higher yields out of worn out, heavily fertilized and pesticide dependent fields each year to break even, such that it doesn't ensure a continual flood of extremely cheap corn onto the market, which results in a variety of cheap and nutritionally deficient processed food products; such that instead it allows greater access to healthier fruits and vegetables, and perhaps even benefits farms that employ beneficial agricultural practices such as crop rotation and the incorporation of actual organic material (i.e. compost and manure) to the soil rather than just nitrogen fertilizers.

I realize that such a change is very complicated and must be very carefully planned and carried out to avoid throwing some farmers into financial ruin, or much worse, put us in a situation of food shortages, but in some way, shape, or form, it must be done.

I don't like seeing food stamps cut, so I know that I dislike that part of the bill. But if other bills initiate the kinds of changes in farm subsidies that I am discussing, then ther e may be parts of the bill that are worthwhile.

More from the link:

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/farm-bill-curbing-subsidies-heads-for-vote-2012-06-21?link=MW_story_featstor


"Direct payments to farmers irrespective of whether they plant a crop will be ended. The program now costs $5 billion a year.

The bill also ends subsidies to farmers with adjusted gross incomes of more than $750,000.

“This farm bill is unlike any other before it,” Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, a Michigan Democrat, said earlier this week. “It cuts spending, ends subsidies, improves accountability and strengthens healthy food systems. We are now closer than ever to achieving real reform in America’s agriculture policy.”

At the same time, the bill also expands the federal crop insurance program, and contains new spending, such as money for farmers who grow so-called specialty crops like fruits, vegetables and nuts. "

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/farm-bill-curbing-subsidies-heads-for-vote-2012-06-21?link=MW_story_featstor

[Kolesar]

28. Superwow...thanks...eom

[Ford_Prefect]

17. How can Seantors Franken, Sanders, Tester, Cantwell, Mikulski among others have voted FOR it?

If it is indeed as damaging as claimed I fail to see how they could justify it. This is not Homeland Security or some other key vote that can be twisted on the basis war on terror.

Does anyone seriously envision an Obama veto? Is the heating program change a Fig Leaf for those who need to de-fund Food stamps?

[synapticwave]

20. Probably because they actually read the whole bill

See my post #19 above. In short, they "cut" $4 Billion by closing blatant loopholes in the SNAP program that were being abused by states and individuals; and they expect that by closing the loopholes it will reduce expenditures by $4B.

[Ford_Prefect]

22. On the face of it that sounds like actual judgement applied to the bill and the loopholes.

One can only imagine what monstrous logic and abuse the House version will contain to offset this.

[synapticwave]

24. yeah, the house is where this will get thrashed

Just gotta hope that when it comes back from the House that dems on the joint committee will stand firm and hold fast not to actually cut SNAP funding.

[elleng]

23. Information DOES help!

Welcome.

[jaysunb]

18. I hope the Hemp provision was still in it. n/t

[wwytchwood]

25. my view?

fuck congress and the dems who voted for this!

[jpbollma]

29. My view is if this cuts fraud GOOD

Fraud is what turns people off from social welfare programs, and trust me there is a lot of it. I live in Michigan and kids whom I KNOW are rich and attend Northwood University ( a college run by nut bag libertarians), scam the system and get stamps and go buy steaks and other things, meanwhile their parents make hundreds of thousands per year. Not acceptable.