House Farm Bill Defeated and Other News

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The latest news from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) including – House Farm Bill Defeated, Bill for Underserved Farmers. GMO Labeling, and more…

CONGRESSIONAL NEWS; 

Path to the 2018 Farm Bill: House Farm Bill Defeated – Today is a historic day, because it marks the second time in history – but also the second time in just five years – that a farm bill has been defeated on the House floor. House Farm Bill Defeated: On Friday, May 18, the House’s draft 2018 Farm Bill was voted down 198-213, with all Democrats and 30 Republicans, a mixture of moderates and hard right members, voting against.

COMMENT: House Farm Bill Defeated

The House failed to secure a sufficient number of votes to pass its version of the 2018 Farm Bill. Across the country, NSAC’s diverse membership sounded the alarm about the disastrous provisions included in this toxic bill. We are grateful that their efforts were successful in defeating it.

RELEASE: House Farm Bill Fails on Every Level

The farm bill before the House will go down in history as being one of the most anti-farmer bills ever seen. It is a shame that the bill drafters have thrown away the bipartisan legacy of the farm bill, and instead chosen to provide unlimited subsidies to mega-farms, undermine rural entrepreneurship and make it more difficult for farmers to access new markets, and decimate our natural resources.

RELEASE: Bicameral Bill Prioritizes Support for Nation’s Underserved Farmers – The “Assist Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Act of 2018” was introduced in the Senate and the House this Tuesday. This bill will help to ensure that farmers of color and veteran farmers are equitably served by USDA programs and that they have equal opportunities for success in agriculture.

The Farm Bill and U.S. Territories: Setting the Stage – Federal policies shape every part of the food and farm system and impact farmers, consumers, and rural communities both within and beyond the fifty formally recognized states. This blog explores the relationship between the United States and its territories and analyzes how select farm bill programs are implemented across the territories. 

USDA NEWS  

Making Sense of the GMO Labeling Proposed Rules – Congress directed the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to set up a national disclosure standard for “bioengineered” (aka genetically modified “GMO”) foods by July 29, 2018. The long awaited GMO labeling proposed rule is finally out for public comment! AMS is accepting public comments on the proposed rule through July 3. Read on for an analysis of the disclosure standard. 

APPROPRIATIONS NEWS  

House Agriculture FY 2019 Appropriations Bill Advances The House Appropriations Committee advanced their agriculture appropriations funding bill for FY 2019, which was originally drafted by the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee and marked up by the Subcommittee last week. The agriculture appropriations bill funds many of the major programs and functions of USDA, the Commodity Future Trading Commission, and the Food and Drug Administration.

 

Learn more about about farm policy and agricultural politics from beginningfarmers.org at https://www.beginningfarmers.org/farm-policy-agricultural-politics/