Senate Farm Bill Setting Up for Debate

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell set the process in motion for considering the farm bill on the Senate floor.  On Monday evening the Senate is scheduled to hold a procedural vote on the motion to proceed to the farm bill legislation, which will likely pave the way for debate.

According to the CBO, under the Senate proposal, the dairy industry would see an additional $200 million in support over a decade.  Row crop farmers participating in the Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) Program would also see some of that financial support over the next ten years.  Overall spending on the commodity title is expected to be about $400 million less than current law provides, primarily due to the elimination of “economic adjustment assistance” for the cotton industry.

The drop is also due to a proposal to reduce the means test that determines eligibility for crop subsidies from $900,000 to $700,000 in adjusted gross income.  Total spending on conservation programs would hold steady over the next decade, but the amounts allocated to different initiatives would shift around from current law.

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