THE OUTLOOK FOR THE FARM BILL

Given that government spending has become an extremely sensitive political issue, there is a chance that no Farm Bill at all will be passed by 2012. Although the Farm Bill is supposed to be passed every five years, it can be delayed, and in those cases the country operates under a continuance of the previous Farm Bill. Republicans will be torn between passing new ag spending to please their rural constituents, and cutting spending to please the Tea Party and like-minded budget deficit “hawks.” Democrats will likely be pushing for nutrition spending and increases to SNAP.

The important players in the Farm Bill include the chairs of the Agriculture Committees of the House and Senate, and of the Ag Appropriations Committee in the Senate. The House Ag Committee chair is Rep. Frank Lucas, of Oklahoma. Lucas has indicated he desires to see a Farm Bill pass before the 2012 election, even though a good bill may help President Obama’s standing in rural America:

Debbie Stabenow, D-Mi, is Chair of Senate Ag Committee.

Senator Dianne Feinstein of California is on the Senate Ag Appropriations Committee.

http://www.kfgo.com /agnews_Detail.php?ID=8554

Rep. Lucas’ comments notwithstanding, many analysts still believe that if a Farm Bill is passed it will have greatly reduced spending:

http://westernfarmpress.com/farmers-must-prepare-cuts-next-farm-bill

WHAT DOES THE FARM BILL 2012 MEAN FOR HUNGRY FAMILIES?

In the last ten years, the SNAP program has had support from both parties as they have seen it as an economic stimulus (supporting the food industry while helping people buy food for their families) and increase in popularity as states began utilizing technology and relaxed rules to help people enroll in the program quickly (California being an exception and retaining a lot of paperwork and unnecessary bureaucracy, some of which may be addressed by state legislation in 2011.)

However, people who want to cut government programs don’t seem to believe that they are very important. Many of them are politicians paid by big industrial concerns, who don’t have much contact with low income working or unemployed people.