FARM BILL UPDATES

 

Farm bill talks intensified Wednesday night as pressure is growing to try to reach a deal in the next few days on both the nutrition and commodity titles. The top four members of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees met for almost 90 minutes Wednesday evening behind closed doors with staff. Further discussions were expected Thursday morning, and House Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) held out the possibility of more meetings Friday depending on what progress is made. Lucas badly wants the framework of a deal this week and is pressing the Senate to move to from $4 billion in savings to at least $10 billion. To win over Democrats, a portion of the savings could be reinvested in employment and training grants to states — a priority for governors of both parties.

Source: Politico, 11/20/13, Farm Bill

 

While Food Stamp cuts are a major focus of Farm Bill negotiations, the potato industry and several senators are pressuring negotiators to require WIC to allow participants to purchase white potatoes with their benefits, which would crowd out purchases of vegetables they don’t get enough of. The House farm bill calls for a study of the benefits of white potatoes.  But the industry wants to mandate that WIC offer white potatoes — even though such a provision is in neither the Senate nor House bills. The foods WIC provides are based on the scientific judgment of leading nutrition experts. The law already provides that another such review be conducted in a few years. Congress has neverintervened to require that WIC include, or exclude, any particular food item.

Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 11/20/13, WIC Potatoes