GOP vs. Democratic split as House nears farm bill markup

Republicans and Democrats on the House Agriculture Committee disagree on three major issues for the new farm bill — SNAP cuts, climate funding, and USDA access to a $30 billion reserve fund — despite recent exchanges of ideas. The committee apparently is headed for a “very partisan” bill-drafting session at the end of May, said a House Democratic staff worker on Tuesday.

Agriculture chairman Glenn Thompson said in early April that his committee would vote on the farm bill before Memorial Day. A spokesman was not immediately available to say if a date was set for consideration of Thompson’s package. It would limit SNAP outlays in the future by requiring recalculations of the cost of a healthy diet to be budget neutral; Democrats have repeatedly said the language is unacceptable.

Thompson also would remove limits on the use of climate mitigation money so it could be used for a wide range of land stewardship practices. Democrats say the money, a windfall from the 2022 climate, healthcare, and tax law, should be used only for mitigation and adaptation to global warming.

Compromise was possible on the USDA reserve fund, but the two sides were far apart.

“You cannot squeeze Democrats with a bill designed to appease” conservative Republicans, said the staff worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Georgia Rep. David Scott, the senior Democrat on the Agriculture Committee, has said Republicans will need Democratic support in order to pass a farm bill. A faction of House Republicans has voted against farm bills in the past.

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