Two Republicans joined the Democratic minority in the Senate on Wednesday to defeat a White House proposal to cut federal spending by $15 billion. The cuts were intended as a counterweight to the $1.3 trillion spending bill approved in March. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) said the USDA’s share of the cuts would have reduced participation in land stewardship programs.
Senators rejected the bill 48-50, with Republicans Richard Burr of North Carolina and Susan Collins of Maine voting against the bill, joining all 48 of the Senate Democrats who cast votes. The House passed the bill earlier this month.
“A vote for the recissions package is a vote against the farm bill, and against our nation’s farmers and ranchers,” said the NSAC ahead of the vote. The small-farm advocacy group said the package would have cut the cost-sharing Environmental Quality Incentives Program by $157 million and the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program by $335 million.