Donald Trump will not back a popular conservative proposal to split food stamps from the rest of the farm bill, said Sam Clovis, a senior advisor to the Republican presidential nominee. Speaking for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, former deputy agriculture secretary Kathleen Merrigan said food stamps are a key element of farm bills and Clinton would oppose cuts to the premiere U.S. anti-hunger program.
“We should all lock arms, be in lock step, and say ‘no’ when people go after it in this next farm bill cycle. Just no,” said Merrigan during a two-hour discussion of food and agriculture policy at the National Press Club.
Clovis said keeping food stamps in the farm bill was not an issue for the Trump campaign, which “doesn’t follow Republican orthodoxy on this,” he said.
This summer, the conservative Heritage Foundation proposed splitting the farm bill in two, one bill for food stamps and another for agricultural programs. Tea Party-influenced House Republicans nearly derailed the 2014 farm law by insisting on splitting the farm bill. It was re-assembled during House-Senate negotiations on the final version of the bill. Conservatives believe they can destroy the urban-rural coalition that backs farm bills if they split it into pieces, opening the way, in their view, for broad reforms and spending cuts in both areas.
“I don’t think the farm bill moves without that package,” said Merrigan, referring to the traditional broad-spectrum range of farm bills, from stewardship and crop subsidies to public nutrition and ag research. Clovis agreed, saying, “We think the nutrition program has to be part of the farm bill. There’s no way to pass it otherwise.”
Food stamps account for roughly three-fourths of the $100 million a year spent annually under the 2014 farm law.
“I think something’s that going to have to be addressed down the road is price supports,” said Clovis. “We’re going to have to start weaning ourselves from some of those issues out there. Allow the market to settle some of these factors.” Crop insurance also will need examination, he said, because the steep decline in commodity prices since 2013 has reduced the protection farmers see from the so-called revenue policies that are, by far, the most popular coverage.
Trump’s vice-presidential nominee, Mike Pence, voted against the 2008 farm bill 15 times, said Merrigan, describing Clinton as a supporter of the farm bill and disaster relief programs for agriculture.