In a letter to the “big four” farm bill negotiators, 107 House Democrats called for stronger conservation programs in the final version of the bill and said they opposed provisions that would weaken pesticide regulation, interfere with state regulation of agricultural trade, or fundamentally alter the food stamp program. The letter was made public on Tuesday, ahead of a meeting of the four principal negotiators and before Vice President Mike Pence’s discussion of the farm bill with GOP senators.
The first, and perhaps only, public meeting of farm bill negotiators is set for Sept. 5. It will be preceded by a crescendo of letters and other public statements intended to set markers for the bill and to sway the six dozen conferees charged with reconciling differences between the House and Senate versions.
While SNAP is the salient issue in the farm bill debate, the letter by House Democrats highlighted disputes over environmental programs. The GOP-written House farm bill would eliminate the green-payment Conservation Stewardship Program and reduce conservation spending overall. The Democrats’ letter mentioned some three dozen provisions they oppose.
Pence ate lunch with Republican senators during their weekly meeting to discuss legislative plans. He tweeted afterward, “Spoke to members of the @SenateGOP today about @POTUS Trump’s historic U.S.–Mexico Trade Agreement and about passing the 2018 Farm Bill to support our great American farmers and to greater strengthen our booming economy.” President Trump supports new or expanded work requirements for welfare recipients.
The Republican chairmen and senior Democrats on the Senate and House Agriculture committees did not comment on their private meeting on the farm bill. Senate Agriculture chairman Pat Roberts told Politico that he hoped to present a final draft of the compromise farm bill at the Sept. 5 meeting. The Senate committee’s ranking Democrat, Debbie Stabenow, was not as sanguine.
To read the letter by House Democrats, click here.