House Passes Farm Bill Nutrition Title; Farm Bill Expiration Still Likely

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House Republicans Pass Farm Bill Nutrition Title

Will there be a comprehensive new farm bill before expiration? Probably not.

Will there be a new five-year farm bill this year? The likelihood of this happening increased on Thursday, September 19, when the House passed a farm bill nutrition title. There is now a chance a comprehensive new farm bill could emerge.

But it is unlikely an agreement will be reached before the expiration of the current farm bill extension on September 30.

What about the nutrition-title that just passed? The bill passed by a narrow margin – 217-210 – only garnering Republican support (though some GOP members joined Democrats in opposing the bill). The basic stipulation of the nutrition-title that passed the House is that about $40 billion dollars in food stamp benefits would be cut over 10 years, and some of the rules about how food stamp money is allocated and governed would be altered.

It seems that every farm and food group (and beyond) had something to say about the nutrition bill. Keith Good at farmpolicy.com offers a round-up of all of these statements, while also providing a helpful synopsis of what the bill says, and what the implications are for food and farm policy.